Midlife Crisis Update (#1 in a series)

Today I toured the Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, where they train you in audio and video for careers in radio and tv. They're well regarded and they placed 90% of their graduates last year.

Radio was the first love of my life (okay, second to Elsa Aguilera) at age 11. I came close to being a radio professional when I signed up as an advanced electronics field radioman in the navy. Gullible as I am, however, I joined as a nuke when my recruiter realized that my high school grades warranted something more taxing. "Come here, Gullible Recruit Touchberry," he said, "and take this test for me. Muhuwahahahaha." I did, I scored well, and he talked me into nukedom. He didn't mention that by enlisting me in a "high value field" that he got bonus points and moved up in rank.

But I'm not bitter, really. My life would have been completely different (and without Julie) if I hadn't become a nuke. I wouldn't even be living in Michigan. Still, I wonder.

Ten years ago I toured Specs Howard. I had completed my BA and I was cruising rather than achieving at Phoenix. I think I was afraid of letting go of the university teat at that moment but, whatever the reason, I didn't enroll.

Now, with my gig at Phoenix (possibly at U-M altogether) ending on January 31, I have new opportunities.

Ideally, I will continue at U-M while enrolling in a master's program or at Specs'. I'll talk about the less-than-ideal solutions some other time. Meanwhile, I'm dreaming about the ideal, which includes a favorable decision by the lottery tonight.