J.P.

I’ve mentioned before that I am currently enrolled in a health class to get my required physical education credit. Many see this course as the lazy way of meeting the requirement but I am surprisingly getting a lot out of the course. I don’t know if it’s guilt or what but I’ve stepped up workout routine considerably since enrolling and I’m feeling better for it. In fact, I’m in jeans that I couldn’t fit into in August. This makes me happy.

On Thursday we had an exam covering everything we’ve discussed thus far. As I mentioned before, the class is seemingly populated with slackers and before returning our exams to us, the professor mentioned that these were the poorest results he’s ever encountered in teaching this class for the past 30 years. Coming out of the class on Thursday, I wasn’t confident of my performance on this exam. So when the professor wrote the grades up on the board “80+, 3”, “70-80, 6”, “60-70, 10”, etc., I ballparked myself as one of the six and maybe one of the ten. Surprisingly it turns out that I was one of the “three”. Not my most stellar exam grade but I’m pleased.

It’s amazing the amount of practical information that is being taught in this course. Smoking leads to lung cancer. McFood is bad for you. Exercise helps you maintain a healthier body. While I’m starting to cheer on the younger generation a little bit, because I’m finding that many professors really don’t give a crap about the students they are teaching, I can not for the life of me figure out why teenagers are picking up smoking. With all the undeniable evidence out in the wild, there is absolutely no reason that any person with any sort of common sense would start smoking in this day and age. I just don’t get it.

Anyways, one of the topics that came up in the discussion today sort of surprised me. Many of the younger students believe that there are cures (or we are really close to a cure) for many of the incurable diseases: diabetes, cancer, AIDS, etc., and the U.S. government is surpressing these cures (or really close attempts) in order to keep the pharmacutical companies alive. They reason that it’s all about big business these days and why should we come up with a cure that would knock out all this big money? Now, I’ll admit that I proudly wear my tin-foil hat, especially with Bush Lite and his cast of idiots populating Washington, but that’s one point of view that I’ve never considered. I think this discussion is indicative of a lot of things. First of all, with this up and coming generation I see big changes on the horizon. It might take two or three decades, but I feel like there’s some sort of light at the tunnel when it comes to this mess our country is in. Secondly, I found myself agreeing with my classmates. I’ve never been one for taking medication. Hell, I don’t go to the doctor unless something impedes my appearance (being vain and all) or messes with my sexuality (being a man and all). I don’t know if their theory goes to the extent in which they proposed by why would big business want to cure a disease when they can make a ton of money just treating it? But you know what, this group of slackers brought up an interesting point that made me think, and add another bit of Reynolds Wrap to my hat.

Sometimes I sit and wonder what the world is going to be like in 30 years. I don’t know why I get all pensive about this sort of thing and I don’t know why I try to look 30 years into the future, but there are times when Professor Frightful is talking to his chalk and my mind starts to wander in math class. And these are the things I ponder.

For one thing, in 30 years I’ll be approaching 70 years old. I have no doubt in my mind that my folks will still be alive, they’re both wired that way. I wonder if the flying cars that we were suppose to have by the year 2000 will be here in the year 2037. Will I still be using my PowerBook?

Earl and I will be celebrating 41 years in 2037. If the history of my family is any indication and I follow their lead, we’ll still be traveling and exploring. What does one buy for their lover on their 41st anniversary?

Whatever the future holds, it sure looks bright to me.