Never Arrive: A Memoir

Everyone wants a success story. Celebrities publish memoirs every day, it seems, detailing some period of time in their lives when they worked hard and achieved something. They arrived.

I was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, as any reader who has been with me over the life of my blog will know. When I think of success-story memoirs, and of success stories in general, the words of my Military Training Instructor (MTI) come back to me:

"Never arrive."

Staff Sergeant Massey imparted those words to us as bits of advice on our last day of Basic Military Training (BMT), as we boarded buses to go to our technical training locations. Mine was headed to Wichita Falls, Texas. Just a bus ride from where we were in San Antonio.

He had explained to us that many trainees, upon arriving at their tech school or even their permanent duty station, would feel as though they'd made it, as if they'd arrived. That feeling of arrival was their downfall - they got comfortable, and they made mistakes that proved fatal to their careers.

He told us to never arrive.

So, it never once occurred to me that I should write a memoir - least of all one that would focus on success and achievement. But now I'm in an upper-level English class and the assignment is exactly that.

And here's the thing:

I haven't arrived.

This upper-level English class is part of a program I'm in now to earn my Bachelor's Degree for Exercise, Fitness, and Nutrition Science. Still working, still studying, grinding through every obstacle in my way.

I'm forced to look back on my life. My brain is immediately flooded with the thought: "I'm not ready to write this story. I haven't reached success yet." Upon reflection, I have succeeded in multiple endeavors.

With each achievement, each accomplishment, each "success," I never once felt as though I'd reached the summit, so to speak.

For the purposes of this assignment, I'm looking back on BMT, with MTI Sgt Massey telling us never to arrive. That we should never feel as though we'd completed our journey, never get comfortable.

The advice came at the end of the most arduous and bewildering eight weeks of my life, which started late at night on December 28, 2010.

The first night, we were asked if we had ever played an instrument or had rhythm. Having played clarinet for five years, I naturally raised my hand - and, along with all others who did so, I was sorted into a band flight. There were two of us - a male flight and a female flight.

The first night, I cried when we went to bed, like so many others. I wondered what I'd really gotten myself into - if I could really handle what I'd signed up for.

Basic Military Training was an absolute nightmare in which we lived by the week - Sunday to Sunday. If you go into the military without religion, you find one to join while you're in BMT, just to get out of the barracks and be spoken to like a person rather than low-grade single-use plastic-mixed materials (garbage).

The only days in which I had any sense of bearing were Sundays. Sunday held the illusion of freedom - we had the choice to go to any religious service we wanted. Most weeks, I chose the Wiccan service, but there was one week I chose the Muslim service, and another week I added Bible Study to my week as an excuse to leave the dorm an extra time - only to be totally disappointed by it anyway.

Day-to-day operations were a mysterious fog. We marched from location to location. We went up and down the stairs as fast as possible while making sure to hold the handrail at all times, Trainee! We formed up at the bottom of the stairs outside, under an overhang large enough to conduct drill movements and PT and stay out of any rain.

We had band practice at least a couple times a week. I was assigned cymbals - an instrument I'd never played, but quickly got used to, and for which I credit my rapid improvements with push-ups. We had classes to attend and materials we needed to study.

We had time each week, if not each night, to write letters to people close to us. We had time each week to call someone close to us.

It never clicked to me what our schedule was. Hour to hour, I as clueless as to what the plan for the day was, and only knew the current activity, if not the next activity as well (if I were lucky).

Adding to my bewilderment, I was accused of having no integrity. I was accused of lying. I was berated for "having an attitude" when attempting to add input to a discussion among others in my flight.

When we met our MTI, Staff Sergeant Massey, I was petrified. The fear never went away - not even at the very end after we'd said our good-byes and gone on our ways.

He always said my name wrong. I'm not sure if he ever heard me correct him; he seemed unable to hear me any time I spoke to him, but at the time it felt as though he deliberately ignored what I tried to say - which added up in my mind as a typical experience of BMT that I should grit myself to endure.

Sgt Massey told us early on that his "worst trainees" would always write him letters to tell him how much they appreciated him, and so on.

I'm not sure how accurate my perception is, but I felt as though he disliked me the most in my flight.

Never in my life have I humiliated myself or been humiliated the way I was during BMT. These are details I won't share today because they are still humiliating to air.

Ultimately, I vowed never to be the kind of trainee to write back to my MTI. No, thank you.

I was fired from two important jobs I had been given - and these were humiliating revocations of responsibility. They were things that I had a knack for, and for which I did not fall in line enough when doing. I was even given an opportunity to use my greatest talent and skill - my art - and I fucked it up.

It's amazing I made it through at all.

It's a goddamn miracle I didn't get recycled.

Recycling happened when someone was held back for a week. Essentially, while the rest of their flight would move on to the next week of studies, practices, etc., a trainee would be held back in the same week, if not a previous week, and join another flight at that week's level of training. Some people were recycled two weeks back or more.

I held on. That's it. I held on, and I did my best to keep up and stay on track.

Through sheer grit and perseverance, I made it through. I earned my Airman's coin.

Prior to enlisting in the Air Force, and in fact, prior to high school, I practiced mixed martial arts. It was there that I learned about perseverance and the indomitable spirit. That was what I carried with me to sustain me in BMT. My MTI review at the end was upsetting to me, but I never got sent backwards in training.

My MTI's words stuck with me in tech school and even when I went to my permanent duty station in Germany. "Never arrive." Never get comfortable. It's what had me hitting the ground running, ready to move forward and excel as an Airman.

It's what has me continuing my education and continuing to seek a meaningful and impactful career that will bring me joy as well as enough wealth to thrive.

There is no arrival. There are only stepping stones.

The Problems with Americans and Guns

           The Wild Wild West. The Industrial Age. The Age of Information. We have learned so much throughout time, yet so many fail to look to history to find the answers to the present problems.

            America was born in violent revolution. We seceded from England because the British government refused to represent our interests during Parliamentary proceedings. We have Founding Fathers who stood strongly against the banks, and we have time in our history when we existed without a “Federal Reserve” or any big-bank entities that create misery wherever they take hold. Due to our diverse population and thus our diverse set of ideals, our people have always disagreed on every topic. Our government is made up of a Democratic Republic, not a Democracy, not Communism, and not Parliament. Yet, we see our American dream—something that was cultivated in our early years and greatly enforced during Westward Expansion after our Civil War—is under direct attack, has been for a long time, and is getting worse.

            There has been another mass shooting at another school, this time in Florida. I don’t keep up with all of them, I’m just glad it hasn’t happened in my neighbourhood. I realize how blessed I am, for it is not a privilege to live without fear of your neighbours, it only seems so to those who cannot do so.

            Many people say that America should be like Australia and implement a gun ban and subsequent mandatory buy-back program for banned firearms. However, this idea has many flaws, primary among them being complete lack of Constitutionality. While it is true that Australia’s rates of violent crime have fallen over the years since they implemented their first gun bans in 1996, people who use these statistics to support their unconstitutional “ban-all-guns” ideology fail to recognize that there is never only one reason for something like this. The falling rates in violent crime in Australia have many more causes than simply lack of availability of firearms. For one thing—and this is something that Leftists also say America should mimic, and for this point, I would agree—Australia has a single-payer healthcare system and no Australian citizen needs to fear for lack of availability of care when he or she is sick or has a serious health issue. While it can be good to look at other countries for ideas, it does not do to encourage people in America to demand mimicry. Australia’s drop in violent crime since their gun bans began in 1996 has absolutely been the result of multiple factors, but all anyone can really see is a statistic showing trends.

Australian Violent Crime Trends, 1996-2013

            America is meant to stand alone, stand tall, and stand strong, United States whose unity is fierce and fearsome. Instead, we have become divided, poisoned by the corruption in our government and legal systems that continue to pass damaging legislation that keeps us at war with other countries and continues to pull resources away from the very people who make the country what it is.

            America has a corruption problem in our politics, our legal system, our law enforcement system, our education system, and it all stems from a problem in our banking system. I say this with a measure of hesitation, for it is a large accusation to make, but from what I have seen, all our problems come from people with large amounts of money wishing to make larger amounts of money and exert control over those who do not have as much money. This ultimately leads back to the banks, all of which have teams of lawyers and lawmakers working for them to affect laws in their favour.

            Naturally, America is not the only country with this problem, but this is not the only problem the United States face. Our healthcare system is expensive and unsustainable. Our education system is grossly underfunded, and our culture discourages critical thinking and intellectualism. More and more people in America spend their time trying to start an independent business, selling goods and products, rather than taking up gainful employment that gives back to their communities and is beneficial and productive to society and culture.

            We have a country full of salesmen and businessmen and our culture is shutting down the artists, engineers, scientists, philosophers, social workers, teachers, doctors, and nurses. Instead of encouraging critical thinking and community, our culture continues to strongly encourage individualism, “us-vs-them” mentality, and a distinctly capitalistic attitude geared towards making a better bottom line for the sake of one’s own personal gain. This is evidenced by the constant ads you see, and all those Facebook friends who are constantly trying to sell you things and join them in their sales. These include things like BeachBody, ItWorks!, Scentsy, PartyLite, Younique, and various clothing brands, makeup brands, and more. People who manage to make money in this way typically use that money to create a lavish lifestyle full of vacations wherein they continuously move around, and do not create roots or meaningful personal connections with others that can last tests of time.

“We have a country full of salesmen and businessmen and our culture is shutting down the artists, engineers, scientists, philosophers, social workers, teachers, doctors, and nurses.”

            These people are all over social media, and if they aren’t selling a brand, they’re selling something from themselves, such as fitness routines, nutritional guidance, lifestyle advice, etc., and they spend all of their time broadcasting and making themselves bigger to make their money and live lifestyles that are egocentric. While some of them may contribute some of their monies to charities, these people are still not engaging in employment within their communities and within society that gives back to the people around them, even when they give back to those who helped them get to where they are in their success.

            Banning guns is not the solution.

            Bolstering our education systems is a solution.

            Reforming our healthcare system is a solution.

            Holding our politicians, lawyers, and bankers accountable is a solution.

Thanks for reading.

Not an Advertisement: My Panda Planner

June was an exceptionally busy month and July is proving to be no slower. As I transition from having virtually nothing to do to being busy every day of the week, I count my blessings every morning. I'm lucky to have the help of the Panda Planner, purchased from Amazon at a discount of the original price and with free shipping thanks to Student Prime.

With the Panda Planner, I've been able to map out my month, my week, and every day as it occurs. It is exceptionally helpful for accomplishing tasks each day, as I write which tasks I really want to accomplish to the right of the "Day" pages. I write out my priorities on these pages, as well as my gratitude, my exitement, and an affirmation of myself.

I've been called a born saleswoman and I think that's true. The thing is, though, I don't try to sell things. What I promote is only that which directly benefits me; if it doesn't work for me, I don't talk about it in a way that may persuade others to make the same choices I did.

For example, people regularly think I'm trying to sell them a Kirby whenever I talk about vacuum cleaners. I was a Kirby saleswoman, but that doesn't mean I'm still trying to sell these wonderful pieces of equipment. Instead, I am trying to sell myself, and passion is in my nature. I am passionate about that which makes my life easier, and a Kirby vacuum system does that for me even though I no longer have one of my own. Therefore, any time I hear someone say they're looking for a new vacuum, I recommend the Kirby. Often, the response I get is a protest to the price of these exorbitantly expensive, luxury vacuum cleaning systems. That is why I tell them the following: Do not buy a Kirby from a Kirby salesman. Buy a Kirby from Amazon, as you can find a brand-new vacuum cleaning system for a third or less of the original price.

I mention this because the beginning of this entry may sound a little like an advertisement for the Panda Planner I recently purchased. The reason for this is because this planner really works for me and I am passionate about it for that reason. I want others to be able to lead the lives they really want to and accomplish their goals in a timely manner. The Panda Planner is honestly great for that and I absolutely recommend it with gusto to anyone who needs better organization in his or her life.

With my order of the Panda Planner, I purchased a Bellabe hair remover, and I will tell you, it works pretty well! There are some coarse hairs on my neck that it has difficulty grabbing, but I find it to be a bit tricky to use just right. It's definitely a simple tool and a more dexterous woman (or man!) may have a much easier time with it, but for me it is a little bit of a struggle. It is worth it, by far, however, when I manage to rip out multiple hairs at one time. For all of my struggling with the Bellabe, it is still more efficient than using tweezers only.

I love being able to use my planner to lay out "tomorrow" at the end of the day. I flip to the next page, input the next day, and fill in my projected schedule and tasks for the day. Everything else remains blank until morning, when I fill in my gratitude, excitement, focus, exercise, affirmation, and priorities. Before turning to the next day's pages, I fill in how I succeeded during the day and how I may improve myself for the next day. It's by far the best planner I've ever laid eyes on.

Sustainability: Architecture and Words

My blog is overdue for a new post, and what better topic than sustainability?

            As I’ve mentioned, the program I’m currently taking at The Evergreen State College is called Sustainability: Reimagining the Built Environment and the Written Word. I’ve missed a lot of class and a couple of assignments but I don’t think I’m failing and I don’t think I’ll fail, I just think I’ve been pretty overwhelmed by the wealth of knowledge available on this topic and all the ideas that come to mind every time I read new text related to what we do in class.

            I have a huge project coming up. I get to design a building or group of buildings, essentially, that meets LEED requirements and may even qualify for the Living Building Challenge. This means I have to do this project with practicality in mind and suggest using absolutely NO new materials. Everything must be recycled and reused.

            I suppose now is a good time to cover a couple of things. First: LEED. What is LEED? I certainly didn’t know what it was before taking this program so I wouldn’t expect you to know it by sight. “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” is a “certification program focused primarily on new, commercial-building projects and based upon a points system.” Source.

            Second: The Living Building Challenge. Details, naturally, can be found at their official website. Put simply, the Living Building Challenge seeks to create “regenerative spaces that connect occupants to light, air, food, nature, and community.” When my class took a field trip to Seattle to tour the Bullitt Building, we learned some basics of the Living Building Challenge. To us, it was explained that the building has sensors that detect the amount of air flow through the building and the amount of sunlight filtering through the windows. The Bullitt Building, specifically, has outdoor shades that lower and raise depending on the level of sunlight coming through windows on the building. The sun on the east may cause eastern window shades to lower, while western window shades stay up high to allow the shaded side of the building to get more natural light. Solar panels on the roof provide the majority of energy to the building—in the case of the Bullitt Building, I believe they actually became energy positive many times and thus sold energy to Puget Sound Energy, making money rather than spending it on electricity. Ventilation of the building and plumbing all revolve around sustainability and reuse.

            The Living Building Challenge is far more interesting to me than LEED. While I think that both are great and necessary in today’s world, moving forward, I think the Living Building Challenge is one that all new designs should strive for. It has seven “Petals,” or performance areas, each of which has its own requirements, also known as imperatives. The petals are Place, Water, Energy, Health & Happiness, Materials, Equity, and Beauty. In order for a building to meet the requirements of the Living Building Challenge, they must meet all imperatives of at least 4 Petals.

            This design assignment, reusing materials and applying adaptive reuse to the spaces they want to use for this project, has me thinking of the “Mistake on the Lake,” or the Capitol Center Building, a blight on the landscape standing nine stories high in concrete, steel, and glass. Straight lines, a flat roof, and an earthquake-proof foundation despite sitting on fill in a flood zone. The architecture of the gutted, long-deserted building in the midst of many of Olympia’s public services is ugly not by design, but rather neglect and disrepair and I think that most, if not all of its materials can be taken and used for the new spaces this project seeks to create for artists in Olympia.

            There are many sites with articles covering what locals call the Mistake on the Lake. All of these articles explore a couple of ideas for adaptive reuse of the building, which has been grandfathered into the area that today has a developmental height limit of 35 feet. The Capitol Center Building cannot be added to or expanded due to new architectural codes in the area and many, if not most of the residents in Olympia would rather see the eyesore taken down rather than renovated. The steel and glass standing nine stories high could be taken and used for the artists’ spaces we have been assigned to design.

            New ideas come to my mind every time I read something new about sustainable architecture. Even if I’m reading about old buildings that do not meet new LEED certifications or Living Building requirements, I find ideas coming to mind of how we can use old aesthetics and new methods of design to create beautiful, sustainable architecture that brings people together and makes a place “pop”. I find myself incapable of articulating these ideas to my faculty and often, I even find difficulty transcribing my ideas to my journal. I hope that this blog entry clears up a little space in my head, files away a couple of thoughts that clutter my mind, and allows me to clearly formulate and articulate the ideas I have for this major assignment.

Questions Concerning Humanity and Utility

Humans are an interesting lot. It seems at once like yesterday and like forever ago that I wrote my blog entry, “Humans Are Actually Terrifying.” It seemed a popular enough piece at the time, but I think it’s good to spark some dialogue about the human condition and our habits as we live our lives.

            A classmate of mine asked, regarding architecture, “At what point does development become meaningless?” This made me think of some other things I have thought about, other questions I have asked: At what point do we realize that not every single human needs to ‘make a living’ in order to be valued and loved? What is the true purpose of cancer and why are we so intent on and obsessed with curing it in all its forms? What further studies can we do that might tell us the reason cancers appear? Isn’t cancer simply the evolutionary process taking place? Why do we grieve those who die? Is death not merely a part of life that we should all accept? Should we not honor the dead for who they were in life, rather than bemoaning the fact that they no longer breathe our same air?

            We should celebrate the lives of those who have passed. Take, for example, the late, great, Alan Rickman. Or, perhaps, the wonderful Carrie Fisher. Yes, it is sad that they are gone because they were wonderful to see on screen. Has it crossed no one’s mind, though, that perhaps it was their time to go? It may seem premature to us, as we expected Carrie Fisher to finish the Star Wars movies and Alan Rickman to tell his great-grandchildren about Harry Potter, but since when has the world cared about what humans think should happen? Life happens on its own terms and we simply need to grab on, hold on tight, and figure it out as we plunge forward with the persistent march of time. I was particularly devastated with the passing of Robin Williams. He was like the cool uncle I knew and loved but had never actually met. I felt an intimate connection with him that I would like to mention before anyone tries to tell me I simply don’t understand because I was never a true fan. It felt as though a family member and a true friend had passed when Robin Williams took his own life and I cannot fathom why he did it. All I know is that he was found to have hung himself on the day I gave birth to my daughter. Coincidence? I don’t believe in coincidences. For a while, I mourned Robin Williams, but I realize now that the best thing for me to do is to continue his legacy by ensuring that my wonderful daughter knows all of his movies, so that she can see what a wonderful soul we had with us for some time. I want her to know Robin Williams as I knew him, to feel him as intimately as I felt him, even and especially when he discussed mental illness. Robin Williams can help teach my child compassion and wherewithal, even if there is no longer a chance of my meeting him in person. I hope we can all think of our favorite late celebrities in this way.

            What is cancer, really? I always imagine one of two things. The first is to imagine feeling lumps multiplying within my body at an exponential rate, so that each time I poke a particular part of my body, it feels like more and more little balls are forming within. The other is to imagine what cells look like as they multiply… and multiply, continuously. Why do cells become cancerous? What purpose could cancer serve that humans are blind to due to our “divine spiritual and intellectual development”? People like to share things on social media that condemn cancer for the suffering it induces in those who become sick with it. People like to do things like participate in Relay for Life and purchase items from the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness (a scam if I’ve ever seen one). “Cancer is horrible!” “Fuck cancer!” “Rest in Peace Grandpa, Grandma, Auntie Susie, and Uncle John, all cancer victims…” I do not seek to belittle the emotional implications behind the suffering endured by cancer patients. I do, however, seek to belittle the way in which we approach the topic. Why do we think it is so vital to save every single life that comes into this world? Why are we the only species on the planet that coddles the weak and unfit? Is it so that we can flash our Good Guy Badges in one another’s faces and claim we’re such excellent citizens because we have compassion? What is true compassion? At what point does compassion turn from strength to weakness?

            I believe death is a part of life. I believe that we need to accept the inevitability of bodily death and focus less on what happens afterwards and more on what happens beforehand. The religious are, in many cases, entirely too focused on what seems to be the end of the journey that is life. I believe wholeheartedly in living in the moment as much as possible. Of course, it is important to plan for the future. After all, we do have an average life span depending on demographic and geography, so that virtually every person on this planet could plan as if to live up to that point. In this way, people could be prepared for the future even if they weren’t to reach as far into it as they’ve planned. We also need to learn from the history we are taught and presented, as well as do our own historical research in order to develop well-rounded ideas of what has happened over time and what mistakes were made, so that we do not continue to repeat that which has been detrimental to our livelihoods. It has been said that the smart man learns from his mistakes while the wise man learns from the mistakes of others. I believe this is true and I strive to learn from the mistakes of others so that I can push forward and hopefully contribute to human evolution in a positive manner. This leads me to a connecting point…

            In coddling the weak and unfit and by supporting those who would otherwise die in nature’s survival of the fittest, do we waste resources on those who do not contribute to our futures? In what way are the severely handicapped useful to our lives aside from teaching us a level of compassion that is virtually useless? At what point will our habit of coddling the weak come back to bite us in the ass due to overextension of resources? We are already an overpopulated species on this planet and we continue to fuck up the environment by transporting wildlife from place to place, disturbing local ecosystems and forcing species after species into extinction not only from the transport of species to new lands but also from such abhorrent activities as shark finning and bottom trawling our oceans. We worry about sustainability but who will we be sustaining for? At what point will we need to prioritize human lives based on people’s merit? At what point do we stop demonizing eugenics due to the Holocaust of World War II and instead look at it as a viable possibility for improving the human race and reducing our impact on the planet?

            I encourage feedback to every blog entry, but this particular entry is one on which I very much wish to see dialogue sparked. I would especially like to see what some thoughts are as far as the question regarding architectural development, as that is the question posed that sparked this entry and all the questions I’ve presented herein.

Keeping On

Maintenance is the hardest thing in the world and its very idea often scares away any motivation that might come my way to get something significant accomplished. Every day is a struggle against myself.

            Yesterday and today, I did some laundry. Within the past few days, I cleaned the bathroom and the living room and hallway floor. Is there still more to do around the house? Yes. Is it still pretty intimidating? Yes. Do I still feel proud of what I have done? Yes.

            I managed to get through a load of laundry today. I folded and put away a whole load and while I can do more in a day, it is enough for me that today, I got that one load done. I also saw my psychiatrist and spoke with her about my medication, today.

            Many small goals exist in my mind, waiting to be made and achieved. Perhaps tomorrow, I will do two loads of laundry. Maybe I’ll sweep and scoop out the kitty litter. Maybe I’ll do all of those things. My next goal to meet, however, is walking the two miles to and from the 7-Eleven down the road from me.

            I can make all the progress I want. I can feel as proud as I want to about the small things I accomplish, but it remains true that I can’t stand going out by myself. As I pull myself together within my home and accomplish household chores as well as online schoolwork, I realize it may be a while before I am at a point in my health where I can go for a walk every single day with my dog and daughter.

            Maybe I’ll notice a great increase in my health during the summer, only for the opposite to be true in the winter. I’m observing these things because I want to be sure that I’m following the best path for my health. That begins with knowing what I’m battling.

#Winning

My time this week has been spent primarily working on my illustrations. I also did a photoshoot with a friend of mine, so in addition to completing three drawings very recently and inking a new one on top of it, I have photographs to go over, edit, and upload for all to see. I look forward to the process, though it will be time-consuming and I’m not sure how I’ll get ahold of Photoshop in order to do it. I’m proud of the work I’ve accomplished thus far.

            In addition to pressing forward with my artistic endeavors, I feel pride in my ability to research things online and find information on various topics. On Facebook, I provided four reputable sources to back up my claims that families on public assistance are not what have destroyed our economy, but that instead it was the bailing out of the big banks in America that has tanked the economy and caused massive problems. I had a friend who was convinced that the people who abuse drugs while receiving “welfare” are proof that “most people” are lazy, unmotivated, static burdens on society.

            I allowed the topic to be dropped when my friend linked me to a source that provided an argument for drug testing welfare recipients. The same site had the opposing argument as well and I saw it as a moot point; yes, I think people should be tested for drugs for public assistance the same way they are tested if they join the military or get a real job. However, there is existing evidence that proves that drug testing those on public assistance costs much more money than it would save—despite the claims by those who are like my friend that it would somehow save money for state governments. My friend is convinced that the only reason it cost more than it saved was because the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to administer drug tests without reasonable suspicion.

            As far as I’m concerned, I won the debate due to my abundance of source material. I had the stronger argument, better referenced. But my thirst for knowledge was not quenched simply by proving that the big banks are the problem in America. After all, with Bernie Sanders’ campaign for President of the United States, the big-bank bailout is pretty well common knowledge and the only thing I learned was that the bailouts are still ongoing and costing trillions, rather than billions, of dollars. (http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikecollins/2015/07/14/the-big-bank-bailout/#26e9b2a83723)

            Thirsty still for more chances to assert my intellectual superiority over those around me, I went into my online classroom with University of Phoenix and took a look at the week’s discussion questions. Then, like the pretentious asshole I am, I found five different sources and wrote over 400 words, almost in essay format, on the topic at hand. Of course, looking back on it now, it’s difficult to remember, because that was on Monday and each week starts new on Tuesday.

            Overall, I would say that I feel like it’s a good time now for me to use these abilities for the greater good. I can do so by using my blog to my advantage and simply creating a blog entry for an issue I find in America or the world. My blog can be my personal collection of essays.

            Look out, world, here I come.