When I got into my first school, Springfield College, not only was it due to a plump scholarship and aid package, it was also because of their renowned education department. The department head was like a goofy youth pastor, or Mr. Van Driessen. Which I did not jive with as an older student. For some reason, both the school and the major felt like a bad fit. So I beat feet. I went back to our local community college, finished my associate’s degree, and off to a state university I went. 

Springfield College is the birthplace of basketball, by the way, and they are extremely proud of it. 

They also started as a Y.M.C.A. leadership school, and those vibes are still there. I’m not trying to trash the place. I had amazing professors, including an English literature teacher who sparked my interest in half of my current major. Literature, of course.

One thing I did enjoy was actually being in the field itself. Although we were teaching at a Catholic high school, I always pictured the end game to be a sleepy community college. Somewhere quiet, where I can help adults of all ages and walks of life learn some cool shit.

Why the backstory, you ask? 

The community college that I graduated from is hiring teachers for college for kids. Even though a Bachelor’s is preferred, the fact that I graduated with high honors from the school makes getting this job a layup. Or so I’ve been told. There is a creative writing course that I would be teaching for some block of children between 11 and 16, and I am so fucking pumped about the idea. I have this concept in my head where I want to correct grammar but not grade on it, in an effort to inspire more creativity by taking the handcuffs off. I don’t know if that’s stupid or not, but I think I am going to try it.

This gig is a foot in the door and an awesome experience. My resume will look good as well.

On the subject of writing and creativity as a whole, I have a bone to pick. Let’s get into the mud and really trash somebody! Yeah!

I have this friend, who happens to make a fair bit of money by being a personality of sorts. I love this dude. He was at my wedding, and I worked for his dad for many years. We even went to the Pinball Hall of Fame together.  His dad, once he realized I had no parents, bent over backwards to keep me employed and would even help me do things like buy heat or insure my car. I owe his old man a lot, and my buddy reminds me so much of him. I love it.

That being said,

As a personality, engagement becomes essential. I realize that. To that end, my friend, let’s call him “John”, has been engagement farming on social media. By taking radical positions on social issues, he incites arguments online, and Elon cuts him a check. This personality says some heinous shit. I know John would tell me it’s just a character, and I’m not going to cry about tasteless humor too much, I just don’t need to see it. When I followed John on social media, I was having trouble separating the art from the artist, so I no longer do. 

While I am already roasting him, let’s continue.

John does do one piece of media that I enjoy thoroughly and follow closely. While I don’t really care about much else, I fall into that social media trap of checking out his account, getting trolled by some outlandish shit he says, and moving on, wondering what is and is not true.

Here’s the thing: he fancies himself a “writer” and “Creator,” so to see him actively shitting on certain avenues of expression is annoying. I’m also unsure if he understands that even self-published writing excerpts can get you gigs in 2026. Whatever the case may be, he was shitting on some kid for having a blog, or “Live Journal” as he kept calling it. 

This agitates me on two levels. The first, shitting on people for using Substack, Medium, or wherever else to create something just brings negativity to the writing space.

Uncool, man… Uncool. 

The dude he was ripping on was a goof, though.

Secondly, this son of a bitch is not as good a writer as he thinks he is, and maybe a blog would give him some practice. He knows his way around a sentence, mind you, but he just falls into the trap of already thinking he is exceptional, which completely stifles growth. I also have experience with this mindset.

Now I know I suck, and that’s why I will write forever. I just find it so annoying, but I know constructive criticism would fall on deaf ears. His dad was the same way. They are both extremely sharp men who also overestimate their abilities.

I have had my writing chewed up and spit out by so many professors the last few years that I am permanently humbled and constantly seeking to improve. It was like ego-death to get shredded so bad. I’m personally not great at much, but I believe somebody with as much raw ability as John could really benefit by going through a similar wringer. For myself, it put a chip on my shoulder and gave me an insatiable hunger. 

Imagine what it would do for somebody who is actually talented.

Big G forever… forever,

JTC