Copyright - Clancy Tucker
Quote of the day:
"Events are less important
than our response to them."
John Hersey
G'day guys,
Today I am pleased to introduce my second young guest - 'AK' who hails from Camano Island,Washington State, USA. This young man is a college graduate who seems to know where he is going. He certainly comes from a beautiful part of America. Camano Island is an island in the Possession Sound portion of Puget Sound, located in Island County, Washington, between Whidbey Island and the mainland. The body of water separating Whidbey Island and Camano Island is called Saratoga Passage. You may have heard that Richard Bach, a pilot and author of the 1970s bestselling book "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," was seriously injured on September 2nd when he flipped his small aircraft on landing at the island in northwestern Washington State. Welcome, AK. Tell us what you think.
YOUNG GUEST - 'AK'
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOU – GENDER, HEIGHT, AGE AND PERSONALITY.
I am a 23 year old male college graduate from The Evergreen State College. I am about 6 feet tall, and am an ENFJ on the Meyers Brigg's personality scale (a slightly extroverted, empathic giver).
WHICH COUNTRY DO YOU LIVE IN?
I live in the United States.
DO YOU LIVE WITH ONE OR BOTH OF YOUR PARENTS? HOW IS IT GOING?
I just graduated from college and made the choice to move back in with my mom in my hometown (Camano Island, Washington) as I do a year of service with AmeriCorps Vista.
DO YOU LIVE IN A CITY, RURAL, BEACHSIDE, HIGH-RISE OR DESERT AREA?
Camano Island is a small rural town (though not much of an island at all), I live on a hill near the water (about a half mile). Camano Island is made up mostly of families and retirees.
DID YOU ATTEND A PRIVATE OR GOVERNMENT COLLEGE?
I graduated from The Evergreen State College, a liberal arts state college.
WHAT YEAR DID YOU GRADUATE?
I just graduated with a Bachelor's of Arts in March of this year.
IS IT AN ALL GIRLS / BOYS SCHOOL, OR CO-ED?
Co-ed
WHAT DID YOU LIKE AND DISLIKE ABOUT COLLEGE?
Evergreen was awesome because there was no graduation requirements and we had 'programs' instead of classes, multi-disciplinary classes with usually more than 1 teachers connecting seemingly unlikely subjects. It was a great school, though we did not have grades, which though it seems like a dream to most students made me realize how much I like a concrete grading standard. Look it up: http://www.evergreen.edu/
HAVE YOU BEEN BULLIED AT SCHOOL? BRIEFLY, WHAT HAPPENED?
I was never bullied during elementary, middle, or high school. Though I did realize that sometimes it was important to tease other kids to take the flack off of myself. (I was a bit of a nerd).
DID YOU HAVE A PART-TIME JOB AFTER SCHOOL? WHAT WAS IT?
I used to have a part time job after high school at my public library.
WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND AND WHY?
My best friends are the few people that I can talk to forever without ever growing bored, the people that are always there for me whenever I need them. I'm blessed to have friends like that.
IS RELIGION IMPORTANT TO YOUR DAILY LIFE? WHY?
I am a very spiritual person, though do not believe in any organized religion.
WHAT OTHER INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE – SPORT, HORSE-RIDING, READING, MUSIC? TELL US MORE.
I love reading and have been getting into it for enjoyment a lot more since college ended. Right now I spend most of my free time hanging out with friends.
IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO BE WHATEVER YOU WANTED, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
A psychologist or counselor.
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?
Yes, very, though I think that it's a little overwhelming to let thoughts about it flood my consciousness too often, it can get depressing.
HAVE YOU TRAVELLED OUTSIDE YOUR OWN COUNTRY? WHERE?
I've been to Canada several times since I'm so close to the border. I have also been to Costa Rica, which was an amazing experience.
IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO SAY SOMETHING TO ALL WORLD LEADERS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
We really need to concentrate on fixing our environmental problems, we all share this world, and if it fails we will fall with it.
WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE?
After my year with AmeriCorps I plan to move to Portland, get a job in a HR capacity, and finish my education by getting a masters in counseling.
WHAT WORRIES YOU MOST?
The state of the environment and the world, that some catastrophic environmental issue will make life incredibly different in just a matter of years.
WHAT WORRIES YOU MOST ABOUT THE WORLD?
The same
DO YOU THINK BEING A PARENT IS A TOUGH JOB?
Being a parent must be an incredibly touch job, I am blessed to have amazing parents that love my unconditionally. I love kids, but parenthood frightens me though and is something I don't plan to start anytime soon.
DO YOU EVER STAND UP FOR YOURSELF OR THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS?
I always try to stand up for myself and the rights of others I am around, though it can be difficult sometimes.
WHO DO YOU ADMIRE MOST? WHY?
This is hard. I admire protesters a lot, anyone that stands up and says that enough is enough and something needs to change and is then willing to get out there and do something about it.
DO YOU USE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS (Twitter, Internet, MSN, Yahoo, Skype, emails & Facebook) TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR FRIENDS?
I use facebook far more than I would like to admit.
DO YOU THINK POLITICIANS AND WORLD LEADERS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB?
Yes and no, I believe that most world leaders today are doing their best to enact environmental laws that will heal our world, but I don't think that anyone is doing enough.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU THE MOST?
People that stand up for what they believe in.
WHAT, OR WHO, HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR LIFE? WHY?
My high school AP literature teacher was a huge influence on me in high school. After my parents divorced I was very unmotivated in school and doing a lot of drugs, she pushed me to my full potential and told me that I was better than the substandard effort I was putting forth. In a lot of ways Mrs. Dartnal got me to graduate high school and get into college when I was in a phase when I just didn't care.
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY.
A sunny day in the woods, with friends, on a hike, drinking beers.
DO YOU READ BOOKS?
Yes, all the time. I prefer fiction though. I like the escapism in it.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK? WHY?
‘Siddhartha’ maybe, or ‘As I Lay Dying’ or ‘Heart of Darkness’. I also really love the whole ‘A Song of Fire’ and ‘Ice Fantasy’ series.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE? WHY?
Too many.
WHAT WAS THE WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
I guess the most awful experiences in my life have been the deaths and physical ailments of others. I had a friend that died far too young and it was really difficult to accept that she was dead and I'd never really be able to talk to her again. Also, when my mother had a brain tumor and was in the hospital to get it removed that was a very difficult experience. It's feelings of helplessness which are the most absolutely difficult to deal with.
WHAT WAS THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO YOU?
Being born. In more concrete experience I guess going to college at the Evergreen State College, traveling (something absolutely everyone should do, even if only in their home country), and making difficult decisions.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE?
I would create a plan to wean the world off of oil as a form of energy. I'd like to fix the world's environmental issues, but don't know enough to say quite exactly how I'd do that.
DO YOU THINK MUCH ABOUT WORLD POVERTY, REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS AND HOMELESS PEOPLE?
Sometimes, I think most people try their hardest to avoid thinking about homeless and disadvantaged people, it's far easier to walk past or look the other way than to admit that there is a serious problem that needs fixing.
DO YOU DO ANY CHARITABLE WORK?
I just started a year of service with AmeriCorps Vista, working with the local Community Resource Foundation to create a job skills training program for youths.
WHAT, OR WHO, ANNOYS YOU MOST?
Republicans. People that stubbornly espouse ideals but don't really have any idea what they're talking about or what's going on in the world.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?
Graduating college probably.
HAVE YOU WON ANY PRIZES AND AWARDS? TELL US MORE.
Not for some time, I used to be a very good student in high school and won some academic prizes.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PLACE? WHERE?
My favorite place in Washington is French Creek near the small mountain town of Darrington. It runs along an old logging trail on a cliff/hill through old growth forests. The trail runs alongside a river and there is a massive split waterfall that you can get to.
DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?
I try not to dwell on my regrets. I don't think it's healthy to dwell in the past.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
My biggest fear is dying of cancer. Along with that my biggest fear is not having a meaningful and spiritually fulfilled life.
WHAT DO YOU MOST LOOK FORWARD TO?
Making a difference.
Footnote: AmeriCorps VISTA is the national service program designed specifically to fight poverty. Authorized in 1964 and founded as Volunteers in Service to America in 1965, VISTA was incorporated into the AmeriCorps network of programs in 1993. VISTA has been on the front lines in the fight against poverty in America for more than 45 years.
Thanks, AK. Keep going. Love ya work! - CT
Keep writing!
I'm Clancy Tucker.
'Street urchins in Laos'
Copyright - Clancy Tucker (c)
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