I do not like to suggest to people how they should live their life nor do I go out of my way to tell others that they are doing things wrong or they could be done better. Listen to this if you want some suggestions. One thing I do press on many people, however, is to be educated and this cannot be accomplished any easier than by going to university after high school. It doesn’t matter what your chosen field of study is, just go. Whilst rummaging through my Grandfather’s house in England, I encountered an email I had written to my family in England shortly after I had begun my days at University. Below is the word for word transcription of what I was learning…
Sent: 22 October 2001 21:06 Subject: And then Luke returned to realityLuke is alive and well, extremely well in fact. College is turning out to be an awesomely awesome experience. The girls, the boos, the fun, the school, the everything all rolled up into one. Although my school is mainly Asian, actually whites and Asian I think share the percentages. But the girls are still good. A great thing to have for going into college and living in the dorms is to have a cast on your arm. It’s an instant chick magnet if you will. Plus they can sign it and leave their numbers on it and other such things. So let me give you the run through kind of…
Lady situation is awesome, many a good story, but Id have to tell you all in person, maybe dave and the guys, and not the girls actually. Very good stories actually.
My cell phone is xxxxxxxxx and it’s the only way to get a hold of me now, I do not have a dorm phone. But its free long distance I think, so Ill try and get your guys numbers and give you a ring on the tele.
Classes are great. Each class has two lectures a week and one or two discussions a week. Mondays and Wednesdays are very lax and I only have my Information Computer Science class. Great teacher and great class. Only problem is we have these projects due every Friday and the last two took me 8 hours each to code. No wonder everybody gasps when I tell them Im an ICS major. Oh well, I enjoy it and it’s fun. My math is called discreet math, it is pretty much math wihtout numbers, all logic and what not kinda related to computer logic. My professor cannot speak English for the life of her let alone teach a class full of students. Normally I end up leaving and go get something to eat. And the discussion for that class, which is a smaller group where you can normally ask questions and get a more personal response, well that guy does not speak English that well either. So I don’t often goto that either. I just teach myself out of the book, cuz Im just that crazy, although it pisses me off they give us a teacher who cannot speak English, it should be a reuirement at least. Then I have a philosophy class which is super awesome cuz the books we read are actually interesting, Sartre and Descartes and Searle and Niche and what not. All an all enjoying school life.
I joined a fraternity. A fraternity in my prior experiences was a bunch of guys who drink and scream and act just really dumb. Back in the day like early America where these fraternities started it was just a bunch of guys who wanted to start drinking clubs and that’s what most of these fraternities are. The one I joined is far from that. it is very goal oriented. Every week we have a mandatory 10 hours of study time which is very helpful cuz Im sure if I didn’t have that I would just bum it or something. A lot of the alumni, guys who have gone through the fraternity in the past are filthy rich and deep in the computer industry, good connections, that was a large motivation of me joining. The brothers, or the current active members are also awesome and very diverse. So right now Im a pledge where you are the bitch for 10 weeks although its very calm and relaxed and not difficult at all. Ive heard stories of other fraternities really messing with the pledges but these guys are too cool and lazy I think to get up early or late to mess with us. Awesome parties too, last Friday we had a pimp and ho party, jolly good fun.
I just got the cast off two days ago, oh man it feels weird but oh so good. You take for granted showering with two hands until it gets taken away form you. And now I can goto the gym and work out and all that jolly stuff.
[missing page]
OK. well after typing that out, I suppose I should give a brief response form a slightly more mature Luke. First… I want to punch myself for the rubbish writing I was sending back to my very posh family in England. Horrible diction, grammar, etc. Use a freakin thesaurus Luke of the past!
The girls were “jolly good fun” but they could not have been that much fun. I did not have sex for the first time at that point. To anyone I have told in the past that it was earlier than 18, you were lied to as to not lose your respect. LUKE OF THE PAST!! It doesn’t matter what other people think!
The cast was really fun. During one math class, I drilled a hole into the side of it with my pen so I could itch a particular point. It was one of those casts that wrapped around the thumb and across the palm. Well I felt I still needed to run and work out so my cast developed a significantly strong odor. Combine that with some sloppy wrap jobs prior to showering and the thing was often times wet. Well in another boring class, I managed to tear off the cast from the wrist up through the hand. This was probably the most important part of the cast and frequently I would give myself some very very sharp pains. Eventually I went to the doctor to get it redone and I will never forget his face as I walked in to his office holding my cast up and away form my face due to the odor and saying, “I think the cast is broken.” Luke of the past, respect your body more, you are paying for it now.
The whole part about the fraternity was very watered down. Ultimately, the reason you are in a fraternity is to establish life long connections with a diverse group of individuals from all walks of life. I will never regret that decision. Luke of the past, way to let Maui Mike convince you to join, even though he ended up round house kicking you in the chest for no good reason at all.
What was on the second page, I cannot say. Likely had to do with the off-roading through the school park, sliding down the hills in front of the dorms, eating copious amounts of food in the dorms and having horrible shits all the times, and more parties. Followed by a few cordial questions to the relatives about their goings-ons.
Of course we learn with time, but please, send your kids to school. It is the one thing I am saving for right now, to pay for my kids education. That and a wheelchair I will likely need in eight years.