Hello again!  I want to talk about my college years a little bit.  First of all, I did not graduate, unfortunately, and I attended East Tennessee State University located in Johnson City.  ETSU will always hold a place in my heart, as it was the only college that accepted my admission.  I understand ETSU took a chance on me, and for that I was more than grateful; and even though I did not graduate, I am a big fan of the school and it’s athletics program.  Do not be surprised if you see me wearing ETSU gear; I love the blue and gold!

Some people say you should not have any regrets in life, well, I have two: 1.  I did not take auto mechanics in high school. 2.  I did not graduate from ETSU.  Who knows, perhaps one day I will walk the Mini Dome in a cap and gown; you never know what God may have in store.

Oddly enough, I started out as a psychology major, but later I switched to political science because I was afraid of biology listed in my psychology courses.  I actually started the biology class and dropped it after the first week, and decided I needed to change majors; it was a decision I would come to regret because I only seemed to do well in classes about law and court cases, but not so well when it came to political classes.

When it came down to it, I was not passionate about any course or class except writing.  In my last required writing class at ETSU, the professor sent the class outside; we had to chose an object and write a paper on it.  I chose to write about a trashcan; that is how bad I wanted to write, though at that time I did not realize how writing affected me in such a positive way.

It was at ETSU when I realized I was probably a paranoid schizophrenic; how, you are probably wondering?  I watched the movie, “A Beautiful Mind”.  I remember while watching it I thought, “I am a lot like this guy minus the beautiful mind part,” but it would still be a few years before I was actually diagnosed.

I was at ETSU for 2 years when I was suspended for one major term for failing one of my classes, and I never went back. I had made it to junior classification; so close, yet so far away.  I did have a good reason for not going back, but if I had it to do over I would have done things a little differently, so I could have graduated with the love of my life.

College and paranoid schizophrenia did not go well together, for me, anyway.  I was paranoid, socially awkward, having hallucinations, delusions, and I had battled depression for a lot of my adult life.  I guess all in all, it was a tough situation for me to be in; being on my own, not being medicated, not having hardly anyone to talk to that was up close and personal except a young girl in algebra 2 who sat beside me in the back of the class.

The guy who stayed with me in my dorm room was from Michigan; he did not talk to me much at all.  At first I was in a different dorm in a room by myself.  I moved to the other dorm all by myself, and it was across campus; and I had no vehicle or driver license.  After I finally got moved in, it was great because this dorm room was bigger and nicer than the first one.

I came to fall in love with the ETSU campus in Powell Hall, and at the time I loved my life even in all of my loneliness.  I was trying to better myself; I was tired of working on golf courses and earning $7.50 an hour.  I had come a long way from where I started; and where did I start from?  Rock bottom in prison in 1996; that was when I realized I had to get into a college and try to get a degree.  I started college at ETSU in the year 2000.

I know what you might be thinking: prison?  Yes, prison, but in my defense it was for a misdemeanor.  I will delve into my time in prison another time; maybe next time.  I guess you will have to come back here and see for yourself.

Take care, and God bless!

Chris