One Year Anniversary Special EP52 w/ Donald Jeffries, Gardner Goldsmith, and TNP Contributors Gary McBride and Chris Graves : Monologue
It's September and its time to go back to school. The sounds of the marching band drums are in the distance. Apple festivals and Halloween decorations starting to draw near. It's still warm enough in the North East to enjoy being outside, but most of us spent the majority of this time of year in a class room instead of learning in nature.
I hated school. Not for the other children around me or for the faults of any teacher but I hated it for its authoritarian design. The Prussian Model doesn't reward rule breakers and once I came to the understanding of the aim of my “education” I became disinterested and then defiant.
Whatever opportunities existed there were soon replaced by new ones in music and in friendship. I can't explain yet to you or even to myself how the Hell I even got here but most of it has been by mistake.
I've put trust in the wrong things and the wrong people. I've sacrificed hours to years of my life on things that would never work out. I don't know if any of my plans for this show will end up that same way but I have to admit I really enjoy speaking to you all each week and meeting new and interesting people.
The internet in the modern era is much like a Prussian classroom of sorts. We are often whipped into some sort of conformity one way or another. Left vs Right, Proud Boys vs Antifa, Truthers vs Q...we all pick out little Kliqs to run around the schoolyard with.
Unfortunately (somewhat I guess), a kid like me didn't get recess, I got detention. I was made to copy a dictionary by hand instead of playing with the kids from my class so I made friends with the other “Bad Kids.”
Some of the “Bad Kids” liked heavy metal like I did and we became friends. Some I still see every now and then, some of them gone. Every glimpse into their life through those interactions shaped how I felt about other people and about what it meant to succeed in life. Some of those poor kids didn't have a chance in the way the world is run and that's how I've felt most of my life. I didn't have it as bad as them in any way but I had my own obstacles to overcome before I could even look back to acknowledge how much those experiences shaped who I am. Even though I knew I didn't belong in school I knew that I had failed my family somehow in their expectations of me.
Right after leaving high school is when I met John Henry and that's a road novel in the works for a later release but the ride we've been on here is one strange trip. To be acknowledged by all of you, our guests, our contributors, and our friends we've made along this past year is incredibly motivational to me.
I want to give a special shoutout to Donald Jeffries and Gardner Goldsmith for making this past year a learning experience from your work and your encouragement. We always lift one another up in our crew and that includes my Contributors Lisa Belanger, Gary McBride and Chris Graves, you all have been amazing in providing insight and comfort in such turmoil and confusion that is the state of our current nation.
If teachers and classmates were more like you all I'd probably have several degrees, instead I have an amazing group of friends. That includes you listening, our Donators, our Subscribers thank you for Liking and Sharing and Supporting this content. Your participation is the fuel to this spaceship and it's our universe so we can go wherever we want. See you next episode.