Del Duke

 

English 101 Section 83

 

Education and “Higher Learning”

 

            As the dawn of a new era in my life unfolds, I find myself in a classroom; watching movies, taking notes, listening to discussions, and realizing that this is what I wanted, my education.  Despite all else it is the one thing that I have yet to achieve of the many things which I have set out overcome in my young life.  In my world, education is the one thing that would set me apart from the legacy set before me.

            Born in 1981 into a poor family of seven, a future was not on anyone’s mind.  The main focus was one thing, making it through the day.  Finding the next meal by any means necessary was a way of life.  I grew up happy to have a place to sleep, something to eat, and clothes to wear.  Life was not unbearable by any stretch of the imagination, however, I never wanted for the things that I had to have to survive, but I never had what I wanted either.  I do not resent my family for that but I knew there had to be a better way of life.

            As time went on, I began my education at the age of six in the same school system my siblings attended.  After the first few months of school parent/teacher conferences began to take place.  The teacher noted that there was something different about me.  I thought on a higher level as the previous children my parents had sent through the school.  Certain things set me apart from my fellow classmates as well.  They agreed that I would be promoted into the gifted classes for the remainder of my elementary education. 

            Around fourth grade, my parents inherited a nice settlement of money from my uncle’s will.  Now my siblings were all gone and I was living the life of a single child.  The future was now starting to look up for me.  I gained an interest in music and my parents were happy to provide the things for me that they could not afford in their earlier state of finance.  After having a meeting with the band director and trying out many different instruments, I took a fond interest in the trombone and soon followed the best instrument money could buy.  Granted that wasn’t necessary, it was something they could do and they really wanted their child succeed.  This was my chance to show the world that I wasn’t just a name.  I was someone.

            With the approach of high school dawning, marching band engaged as the next step in my musical education.  Many see it as a joke, but in my school marching band was where the smart, successful people loomed.  That’s where I had to be.  I needed to be around those people to feel like I was moving into the right direction.  Little did I know what lay ahead for me. 

            I had forgotten my heritage.  Even though I was the brightest member of my direct family, I had neglected there were the footprints left for me to follow.  It was an uphill struggle proving myself to those who already had a set stereotype of who I was to be.  I chose not to get in fights like my brothers or apply cosmetics instead of myself like my sisters.  I knew that if I were to get out of the rut set before me I was going to have to be something. The only way I knew to do that was to study hard, practice all the time, and try to be a social butterfly.

            After attempting this method for a few years, my so-called experiment ended in less then desired results.  I had become smarter and a better musician but wasn’t accepted by the so-called smart people.  I felt my whole being in vein.  I allowed society to control me.  Soon I gave up my instrument, gave up in school, and started doing whatever I wanted to.  I had become the one thing I didn’t want to be, a Duke.  This was something I couldn’t escape.

            Colorguard was a part of the marching band I always wanted to do but wasn’t acceptable, at least not at my school, for a guy.  After graduating, I decided that I wanted to explore a career in colorguard. Having heard about independent organizations that allowed guys, some just guys, I was on my way.  Within a few years of training and practice, I was on my way to doing what I wanted.  One audition after another I was getting spots many only dreamed of. 

            Two of the organizations I performed with traveled the country and performed in some of the most beautiful venues.  The Cavaliers, an all male organization based out of Rosemont, IL, allowed me to travel the country and perform in stadiums such as the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Invesco at Mile High in Denver, and the Alamo Dome in San Antonio.  The Pride of Cincinnati allowed me to travel and see places such as Nashville and Las Vegas.  These are places, as a child, I would have never thought possible for me to visit and there I was traveling with these world class groups, performing in beautiful stadiums and arenas, being accepted by a group of people who didn’t know anything about my past.  I had made friends with people from all over the world, was the best at what I did, and was living the life many only dream of.  It was everything I had ever wanted out of life.  Then the inevitable came.  I grew up.

DCI, the governing body behind my organizations, had imposed an age limitation.  Three world titles later, I was too old.  Now what was I going to do?  My friends were spread out across the world.  No one knows about my achievements.  I still have no formal education.  It was then that I realized that now was the opportunity I had been waiting for.  Everyone who knew my past had now passed me by in college and there were no strings attached to me now as far as background was concerned.  I learned that when I had the chance to be myself I was successful. 

I applied for admission to the University of Louisville’s School of Arts and Sciences.  After acceptance, I continued down the normal paths of filling out paperwork and finding out a schedule that worked with my life.  I still wanted to be able to do the things that made me happy in life and still be able to achieve the necessary evils of formal education.  With instruction of my newly found passion, colorguard, being a driving force in my life I had to make sure the right schedule allowed me this luxury.  Yes, I wanted to go back to school but something that significant in life would be hard to just give up and walk away from.  Teaching was also my chance to pass on the knowledge of acceptance to people in the age group that had so drastically changed my life.  It is a great comfort to me knowing I teach others my passion and help to shape others in a mold of a more accepting society. 

My personal education has been a struggle with myself, my heritage, and the environment around me.  A more understandable means of conveying my feelings could be found by watching to movie, “Higher Learning”.  For instance Kristin who colored her hair and went to parties that weren’t really the person she was.  As the end result she found herself in a situation of physical and mental hurt.  I chose to be in band as a means to be socially accepted but in return was ousted since I wasn’t already one of them and forced to find other places to fit in.  Or perhaps we can take a look at Remy who allowed his self to be consumed with a negative world for a chance to have a friend.  His end result then leads to an undesired finish.  When I saw a more accepting group of people and took the high road by choosing colorguard instead of playing my instrument.  I could have kept pushing down the path I had initially set for myself but gave in.  Now, I sit in a position like Wayne, knowing who I am and not fearing the result of what may happen as the means to my own actions.  The choices made have been mine. 

After accepting the consequences of my past and now knowing who I am the conclusion of what education is to me seems so evident.  It is the ongoing process of learning who you are, where you fit into the grand scheme of life.  It’s not a formal school appointed curriculum; book reports, classes, or frat parties.  Those are only tools that help to mold you.  Education is first knowing who you are and then finding your personal notch in an ignorant social hierarchy.  Education allows you to continue to evolve and drives that position in the direction you have found to be your own.