Friday, November 21, 2008
Turkey Break at Last!
Turkey break is the Spring Break of fall semester. For the first time since going back to school I have no large project looming over my head this holiday break. I'm excited about that. Very excited! Why? Because I finally have time to start studying for my exit exams and getting my head in the right gear to get me through March and my exams. One more semester! I think I can, I think I can...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Veteran's Day
Sitting on top of my entertainment center there is folded U.S. flag in a wooden display case. Next to it sits a 5x7 black and white photograph of my grandpa proudly posing in his Army uniform. He looks so very young - too young considering that within months after the photograph was taken he was sent overseas to Korea. All of my life I've known my grandpa fought in the Korean War. Never did an opportunity to tell people of my grandpa's service to this country slip past me, even if I didn't fully understand what his service entailed. It was something he didn't talk about and something I never asked about.
Over the past few years I've learned more and more about the Korean War, more due to school and personal curiosity than talking to my grandpa. It truly is the Forgotten War, stuck between the gloriously remembered World War II and the disgracefully remembered Vietnam War. Our government called the Korean War a "police action," not a war. 35,000 deaths and 104,000 injuries later the WAR ended in a stalemate. While some would consider that a draw, the U.S. completed exactly what it said it would do - contain Communism; prevent it from spreading into South Korea. There was no finite ending and no ticker tape parade. The men returned home and were "forgotten."
I never talked about the war with my grandpa. If he didn't talk about it, there was a reason. In a life of 75 years, 3 years in the Army may have just been a blip on his radar. I know his service didn't consume his life. It was his duty, he did it, and he returned home to his family and moved on with life. As much as I'd like to think that my grandpa was not defined by the experiences of war, he DID experience war. He served this country at a time when the threat of Communist dominoes tumbling across countries and over oceans and consuming America was very real.
It wasn't until I was too late that I had a million questions for my grandpa. But his mind was too tired and his heart was too lonely for me to question him about things. The day that he died we opened a briefcase of his to find some unit patches, pins, service ribbons and his dog tags - a Sergeant, a tank mechanic, a young man identified by stainless steel in case of disaster. He may never have talked about it, but it meant something to him. For 55 years he was a veteran - I never thanked him for that.
Thank you, Grandpa. You will NEVER be forgotten.
Over the past few years I've learned more and more about the Korean War, more due to school and personal curiosity than talking to my grandpa. It truly is the Forgotten War, stuck between the gloriously remembered World War II and the disgracefully remembered Vietnam War. Our government called the Korean War a "police action," not a war. 35,000 deaths and 104,000 injuries later the WAR ended in a stalemate. While some would consider that a draw, the U.S. completed exactly what it said it would do - contain Communism; prevent it from spreading into South Korea. There was no finite ending and no ticker tape parade. The men returned home and were "forgotten."
I never talked about the war with my grandpa. If he didn't talk about it, there was a reason. In a life of 75 years, 3 years in the Army may have just been a blip on his radar. I know his service didn't consume his life. It was his duty, he did it, and he returned home to his family and moved on with life. As much as I'd like to think that my grandpa was not defined by the experiences of war, he DID experience war. He served this country at a time when the threat of Communist dominoes tumbling across countries and over oceans and consuming America was very real.
It wasn't until I was too late that I had a million questions for my grandpa. But his mind was too tired and his heart was too lonely for me to question him about things. The day that he died we opened a briefcase of his to find some unit patches, pins, service ribbons and his dog tags - a Sergeant, a tank mechanic, a young man identified by stainless steel in case of disaster. He may never have talked about it, but it meant something to him. For 55 years he was a veteran - I never thanked him for that.
Thank you, Grandpa. You will NEVER be forgotten.
Friday, November 7, 2008
F's for everyone!
The worst part about being a graduate teaching assistant is the grading. I enjoy going to the class, interacting with the students, and helping them when they ask for it. I don't enjoy grading. Mostly because there are 120 students in the class and reading mediocre attempts at answering a fairly easy question gets frustrating quickly. It's disappointing to see just how many students don't care at all. I no longer wonder why teachers always thought that I was such a wonderful student. If my fellow students produced work like that which I'm grading, I can understand why professors thought I was a genius.
In other news, I'm not feeling to keen on anything right now. I blame the weather. Crummy winter is approaching and I have no desire to be anywhere other than in my pajamas snuggled up in bed watching a movie. My classes this semester are not very interesting. My Fundamentals of Business Management class is the biggest waste of time. There was a 15 point curve on the last test because the professor can't write a decent, understandable question to save his life. After writing test questions for my history professor this semester I am well aware of how time consuming it is, but it's not rocket science. At least I can take comfort in knowing that I only have to take one more quiz and test from this engineer turned business professor.
I think that only thing that is really keeping me rolling at this point is the fact the end is near...and that Brent and I are headed of to Estes Park for a nice weekend getaway soon! A nice relaxing weekend will be wonderful!! Only one more week!
In other news, I'm not feeling to keen on anything right now. I blame the weather. Crummy winter is approaching and I have no desire to be anywhere other than in my pajamas snuggled up in bed watching a movie. My classes this semester are not very interesting. My Fundamentals of Business Management class is the biggest waste of time. There was a 15 point curve on the last test because the professor can't write a decent, understandable question to save his life. After writing test questions for my history professor this semester I am well aware of how time consuming it is, but it's not rocket science. At least I can take comfort in knowing that I only have to take one more quiz and test from this engineer turned business professor.
I think that only thing that is really keeping me rolling at this point is the fact the end is near...and that Brent and I are headed of to Estes Park for a nice weekend getaway soon! A nice relaxing weekend will be wonderful!! Only one more week!
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