I owe my writing career (whatever it becomes) to the fact that law school just isn't very taxing. If you know someone who's in law school, and they tell you how time consuming or difficult it is they're lying to you. There is one thing that you must know about law school and that is that the hardest part is getting in. There is a short adjustment period to the reading requirements when you first get there - but the schedule is sparse at best, and for those students who don't have a job or other significant time obligation in their lives (e.g. spouse/children or things of that nature), there's a mountain of free time.
During my first year, I was bored, and ended up dancing with a performance dance troup on campus. During my second year, I was bored (despite significant student government obligations), and ended up reviving my cheerleading career. Finally, during my third year, I auditioned for a column in the campus paper, with an homage to Judy Blume, and based on being a thirty-something grad student at his first private university - after public school and ten years in the military, entitled Tales of 19th Grade Nothing.
Death on a Beach Cruiser
So, here they are... sort of a Glenn T, the Early Years reprise of my first stab at trying to be funny while writing... and if you're not careful, you just might learn something:
The Games These Kids Play
10,000 Band Kids
Why I Hate the Band (This is my favorite piece from the collection - not because it's the best written, but because it generated the most response... on both sides)
Whatever Happened to Hello?
The Shallow End of the Gene Pool (My most controversial piece - as demonstrated by the two people who wrote to the paper calling for my resignation... ah, free speech)
No One's Looking at You
The Era of the Abercrombie Man
Campus Traffic and the Miracle of the Four-Way Stop
Ok, I Get It, He's Rich
An Ode to John Mason
A Brief Look Back (my parting shot at the law school)
Things We Don't Know
Now, a year and a half after I had gone, I had the unique opportunity to see my two alma maters play a football game against each other... Stanford decided to open it's new stadium with a game against perceived "cupcake" Navy. Now, those who don't know me very well wondered who I'd root for - but those who do know me know that I bleed Blue & Gold when it comes to football.
After Navy dump trucked Stanford, and ruined its home opener and new stadium debut - I penned a little tribute and sent it to the Daily as an Op Ed.
The printed it... and became the most popular thing I have ever written. The Academy and some parents' groups reprinted/republished it, and it before I knew it, it was nationwide. I received hundreds of emails from Academy people, and reconnected with some folks I hadn't seen since I left the Yard.
After this piece - I knew I'd never stop writing:
Bad Fans, Bad Band, Good Stadium
I hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane...
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