Ixnay on HBU

Well, I ran into most of the professors I actually remember from HBU, and I learned one really important fact. Things, they no good.

You know it's bad when the people you looked to for hopeful guidance into an unknown future are now bitter, angry, and pretty much fed up with the way things are going. Apparently, the new president at HBU has an agenda that involves running off all of the staff and building new facilities until the school runs completely out of money.

I don't think he gets it ... if he makes HBU look bad, it makes ME look bad, because I got three degrees out of that place that I'm still paying for. If he makes me look bad, it makes my BANK ACCOUNT look bad. And that, sir, is an ass-whupin' comin' yer way.

I'm from Wild Peach. We really do talk like that.

So what to do? I've thought about writing a letter, explaining my thought process from above with a bit more finesse. I may try that first.

Here's the question: Does a university have any obligation to keep its nose clean out of respect for previous generations of students?

Yes. Yes it does. Punks.

If anyone else has any suggestions, I'm all arthritic knuckles and beer bellies.

At any rate, despite the dreamy entry from earlier today I will NOT be applying for a job at HBU. Bummer, too, because the place looks great and I enjoyed hangin' there today. Maybe they'll shape up and I can put it back on the table.

Write on, write on

Since making the decision to focus more on my writing career, I've noticed that the Universe is shifting around me, opening up opportunities in every direction. Today, I'm on campus at Houston Baptist University, where one of those opportunities could change everything.

One of my English professors is now head of the creative writing program at HBU. The program didn't exist when I was a student here. In fact, it came into being about six months after I graduated with my M.Ed. Bummer. But now it seems to be going strong, and my professor wants to talk to me about it.

So that begs the question ... what if I somehow became a part of that program?

I like academia. I was pretty much a career student for more than fifteen years, and when I left I had intended to return someday, going for the scary-but-cool Ph.D. Now, five years after my grad degree, I'm planning to apply for the Creative Writing program at UH. The fact that it's the third best school in the world for creative writing is kind of a bonus.

I'll get in, one way or another. In the meantime, it will help to have a few former professors on my side. The one I'm seeing today actually told me he's long admired my work, so that's encouraging.

What will I do with a Ph.D.? The shortest answer: write. The more complicated one? I figure I'd enjoy teaching on the university level, writing on the side. In the university environment I'd have to write and publish ... it's required. So it's really kind of a win-win for me.

What about HBU? Yeah, I think I'd like to teach here. The campus has grown so much over just five years, and I think it will continue to do so. And it's always felt a bit like home to me. So yeah, I think I may try to get on here.

Beyond that, my plan is to keep writing, learn as much as I can from my current copywriting job, get myself into the Ph.D. program at UH, and keep writing. Yeah, I said it twice. It's that important.