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Personal Data
First, call me Rick!
There are various areas to
inform the reader about myself. Just a tidbit of personal info.
I was born in Chicago. My father died when I was 16. Due to circumstances I now understand,
there wasn't much left behind for us. I was determined to be the first (and since I was the youngest),
the only one, to attend college. This means I had to pay most of it as Social Security survivor benefits allowed
me to make only a certain level of income. Then it started to take back 50% of that survivor income. At yet
another level, it cut off completely. At that time, the levels weren't very high, so I didn't exactly have a great
feeling toward how the government handled its business.
The first college was
expensive so I transferred to another college. I had been commuting 45 miles west each day; the new college
was 20 miles north east. For a semester, I worked part time and attended both schools. I really tried to stay on
track to graduate in four years, yet I ended up wearing myself out so much that I got tonsilitis four times in six weeks.
I survived (obviously! and still have my tonsils) and began attending that second school exclusively in January. That
lasted a year or so, until I again ran out of money. Fortunately a new state university had opened and I was able to
attend at a much lower cost. And wouldn't you know it, it was the best of the three schools!
I attended college for two and a half years before I had to go part time, and work full time. After just over 6 years,
I graduated. I had started out going for a degree in accounting yet working during the day, when those classes
were offered, required I change and get my BA in Business Administration. I ended up with a double minor - Accounting
and the other was in Human Behavior.
Four years later, while living in southern California, I attended Pepperdine University. Three years later I
received my MBA degree.
Sound good? Well, it was anything but easy, yet I did learn plenty. I learned what it meant to have to pay your
way. I learned also that those who could have their way paid through college and get their Master's degree
were usually pretty clueless as to what "normal" workers endured. I don't mean to use the word clueless in a
derogatory manner - it simply is the truth. I found, after getting my degree(s), I often ended up educating those
more fortunate than most. In most cases, their attitude was "I didn't know...".
Due to my background, I have many opinions regarding the work place and education. For any that
are in the "elite", I doubt we would find agreement on those opinions.
However, a wonderful philosopher ( I do really love my wife!) taught me some very helpful words: "Oh well..."
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