The new pick up line - "Hi there, do you talk to God often??"

So last night a story on the news was the Evangelist Creflo Dollar is being investigated because he has a private jet....I remember him because the first time I saw his tv show was when I was living in Chicago...it was actually pretty good! Until I found out the seating at his church is based on who gives what. Like the ticketmaster of churchs. Over a certain amount, you're front row...just a small donation? nosebleed seats for you!!

ANYWAYS...it reminded me of a "My Life in Chicago" story...I was in the airport baggage claim, returning to Chicago from my monthly trip back home to New York. While waiting for my bag, a young woman and I started chatting. She seemed nice enough, didn't appear to be homeless, mentally unstable, or just plain strange like a lot of Chicago folks....Seeing as how LONG it usually takes to get your bag, by the time it came, we exchanged numbers saying we'd keep in touch.

Now, I USED to be a lot more willing to talk to people I don't know....and being in Chicago where I knew NO ONE, and it was rare to meet someone interesting, when she called and invited me to meet her at a party, I actually accepted.

The night of, I arrive, and there's a decent sized group of folks at this private hall. Mostly young, professional looking....seemed like I might have found a group of folks to network or hang out with...it was only after a few songs played, and I talked to a couple people that things seemed a bit...different....not too often at a party, even if its private do you hear a lot of gospel-type songs.....and there were no scanty dressed women....then when a guy approached me and said 'soooo how often do you pray'.....only then did i realize that her 'party' was really a church of christ youth gathering..she just happened to forget to mention that part I guess. hey, not sayin anything is wrong with that...but just like i don't like a guy approaching me sayin 'sooo shorty, you come here often?', I don't really think the first thing a guy should ask is how often or when I pray....call me crazy....well, long story short, after a dozen invites to their church service the next morning, I slipped out the door unnoticed and took my heathen behind home....if this was all Chicago had to offer to counter the country ghetto folks, I had to get back to NY....ah..wonderful Chicago.

little excuse for our stupidity

I'm in my first class for my second masters, in Higher Education Administration. Don't ask. I'm not 100% sure why I'm back in school....OR why I'm already thinking if I want to attempt again to get into a PhD program after I finish this one...I did just say I'm in my FIRST class of the program right?

ANYWAYS, the term paper for this class, is researching the founding of a university, and its first years. I've chosen Hampton University, which was founded in 1870. At the time, there was no standard education, for whites or blacks. The elementary through high school system that we have no didn't exist. Let alone for the newly freed slaves. Colleges opened their doors and first had to teach folks how to read. Not saying that things now are a walk in the park. But considering all that people had to go through in those days, people today have little excuse. I've learned a lot in this class and it really has put a lot in perspective for me.

But not even just the development of the education system. The internet!! Showing my age, I remember going to the library and going to the little card catalog, writing the book number down, and heading to the shelves to find it. Things like Googlescholar.com put the old way to shame! I have been able to find copies of entire books online, that I can just print out. Many of these books, written in the 1800's are not even available in the public library anywhere in the city. When I started this paper, I didn't think I'd have enough sources. And now, I have too many! I love the internet!!

So as I think was my point, we have no excuse. The wealth of information that is just at our fingertips...literally!! Now stop reading my babble, and go google a book or something! :)