Barnyard Bob

Jeanine, this is excellent. In particular, your discussion of the central importance of family value of education as a barrier to education strikes home with this writer. He has a soon to be ex-son-in-law, a drunk whose choices have landed him in jail - bankuptcy and divorce courts. He is an excellent example of a person who missed himself. He comes from "hill Billy" country in Wisconsin, where people aspire to be auto mechanics, which is, in fact, an honorable, well-paid, much-needed skill and career. However, he really is a creative artist who should have gone to radio and TV broadcast school! Yet, nobody in the back hills of Wisconsin had any idea of such a career and if they did they did not know how to approach it. He would enthrall me with his ad hoc "Barnyard Bob" radio persona, in which he, Bob, had two-day discussions - with voice changes and character changes done by himself alone - with folks who came to the Barnyard. It was perfect for a host of a country mustic radio show. I urged him to go to a local broadcast school, since he was unemployed anyway from constant dunkenness and getting fired in the process. Moreover, I shared with him that I have contact with a local radio station owner, who owns eight radio stations in Southern Wisconsin right now, and is expanding his market. I told him that the station owner would do me a favor and mentor, maybe even hire, him to get his career started. It went nowhere. Sadly, the whole relationship ended when he made death threats, literally, over the phone against me, which the police had to investigate and track. I had hoped to be that "new voice" in his life. Now, I watch my grandson, age 8, who has the same creative genes, and this grandpa is going to go all-out to nurture these talents in my grandson - and not let him be limited with auto mechanics. My wife and I will go to his school choir concert on Firday coming. Moreover, his grandpa takes him to the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus, which is near by. It goes this way. "Wyatt, why did grandpa bring you here?" "Answer, "I don't know grandpa." Answer, "It is because grandpa went to school here and this is where you are going to go to school too." Grandpa knows that the school of dance program at his alma mater is the most heavily endowed program on campus - and dance is a perfect gateway into all aspects of entertainment. I am planting in my grandson the seeds that his birth father could not plant, and did not receive himsef. As long as your humble servant here has any input, we are not going to repeat this sad cycle of "situation barriers" to self-actualization again. Thanks for listening. Dr. Rux