A Tale Of Two Degrees

 11 Oct 2026 latest attempt at fictional postcard.

                                                      A Tale Of Two Degrees

    Your child did All Of The Things. He graduated from high school with a high GPS,went to college to pursue a degree. He liked the outdoors, but he couldn't monetize that so you refused to pay for school unless he got a "real" degree.

      He stayed the extra two years to get an "M" in front of his "BA" and went immediately to work at a Big Corporation that magazines declare as The Most Successful due to their stock prices. He hated it.

        He sat in a cubicle with numbers. He wore a suit. He made no friends. Everyone talked about money and how to get more of it and he looked longingly at Ansel Adams photos, and Outdoor photography wishing he was outside. He loves the outdoors. He was always in the woods as a kid, always camping. An Eagle Scout. Traveled to ski with friends. 

       After six months, however, The Big Corporation  ewasmbattled in a hostile takeover and your son lost his job. Last hired, first fired. The Big Corporation had to shed, and they ended up getting takenover anyway, and everyone lost their job. But your son was first fired. Freshly minted money degree still in its folder. So he has that going for him.

        Soured on Big Business, he takes some time to regroup. Decides to do boating tours for a bit in a southern state. But the apartments kept by the Large Corporation to house the workers do not have airconditioning or clean water, so he leaves halfway through the season. Big Business follows him and keeps mucking things up, and he tells you he's sorry, but he's miserable. He's going to find his own way.

        He bought a van and moved through states trying to find his way, and he uncovered the Coast Guard. 

        He joined. He's been there four years and is a senior crew member who trains the newbies.

        He makes half of what he made at the Big Corporation. The Coast Guard has insurance, he's lucky there. He's happy. 

        He wants to fly the helicopter and is working toward that goal.

        You tell people all you ever wanted was for him to be happy.

        Well, he's happy.

        

        Your daughter wanted to go to college for theatre. You told her you would not pay unless she got a "real" degree. So she went to college for advertising. She got to travel overseas, she got a job in NYC and goes to parties and gatherings.

        She didn't tell you but she's been sexually assaulted twice, once in college and once at her first Ad Agency.

        Nobody knows about it. She's using her theatre training to act like everything is fine.

        The bottom fell out of advertising when AI bullied its way onto the scene, and her agency collapsed with many others. Those who survived fired the humans. Still in NYC, she found a small theatre company whose shows she attends regularly. She asked if they needed help---any help, as she was on unemployment and just wanted someplace to have to be.

        She agreed to run the front of their house, make coffee, keep the bathrooms clean and helped create original advertising that simultaneously skewed all AI fakes while building up the true human experience of theatre. 

        Last year they produced her play.

        It's about a woman who survives Sexual Assault and lives her best life as an artist.

        She has a small apartment, uses public transportation and skips everywhere she goes.

        She is happy.

        Regardless of how you strong arm  us into capitalism, we will make ourselves happy. 

        Without you.

        We will find a way.