Thursday, April 27, 2023
Monday, April 3, 2023
A Conversation with A Professor
A couple of days ago, I went into a coffee shop and overheard someone say 'yiu probably have to take it to a computer shop to fix it'. I know computer repair and I step to the table to see if I could help.
It was a Black woman, 10 years my junior and I introduced myself. I told her she doesn't have to do what the person mentioned and that she can fix it with her cell phone. She asked how and I told her if she knows what it's not doing, or suppose to do, ask Google. She told me to show her how...and this is where I got real with her.
I asked what does she do and she tells me she is a College Professor. When she said that, her words were those if her sticking her chest out, letting me know that I wasn't on her level to even begin to try and hit in her.
She couldn't understand what I was saying, so I broke it down further for her. I said if your car won't start, you out in Google 'make and model of car, and why it won't start.' Then hit enter. Google will tell you what you need to check to see why it won't start. I then asked her what is wrong, what is it NOT doing. When she told me I knew what the fix was, but I was going to let her do it, and walk her thru it.
Something she downloaded or opened in an email hijacked her browser and there are 3 steps to getting her browser back. But she couldn't for the life of her ask Google what the problem was so I helped her. I told her to ask Google browser keeps popping in and out and starting and closing by itself. Google came back with the fix.
45 minutes later, she had control of her browser. I told her be careful of what you open and download. Install a decent malware protector, though that won't help, but it's the first defense. She thanked me and then it got strange.
She asked me was I a college graduate, I said no, I went into The Army for 6 years and I obtained everything I wanted to know from there, it was the beginning and I'm still learning. Though I am about 10 credits from my BA, I don't know what I will graduate from because since 1982 I have been taking courses for free and just add them in to my 'folder'. I hope to get those 10 credits before I die. She went into how she can help me do this and that because she deals with people. I told her no, that it's okay, having an education is not a priority for me, never has been and never will it be. She then went in to tell me how important it is to have one, and she said it kind of loud that other people turned their heads in our direction. She did this on purpose, so I did what I do
I told her... 'You think education is the key to everything, that having an education solves all types of problems. But did you know that the average person, takes one white man and one Black man, with the same education values across the board, no experience...that the white person would get hired first..but not unless they have to hire a Black person. And when they do hire the Black person, 2 months later they still hire the White person. Then after a while, either he is t given enough work to do which will make him bored, or they give him too much work to do, which will overwhelm him and they end up cutting him loose. That this happens a lot but doesn't get spoke of. Take you for example. You're proud to be a Black College Professor, but you don't know how to repair a major tool, a piece of equipment you need to work with everyday. Why is that? Because you don't have the time to learn something so easy that a 11 year old can fix just by going to YouTube? Or because you have the money to get it fix, but you just don't have the time at the moment to repair it. College is a waste of time to me, it diwnt prepare you for the real world. College gives false hope to Black people. Because after 4 years of college, you still have to go into a work place a d prove you are worthy, whereas a White person goes into the work place and he is welcomed with open arms. Education can't be the key because you have college graduates working under someone who has a GED. How is that possible? But I thought... You have most people going to college to waste time, because they aren't going into the fields that are projected for the future. But they are spending big dollars for this education and doing something that damn near all of them dislike doing for a living. If I'm going to spend that type of money, get a loan for that type of money. You better believe I will have an Advisor with me throughout my 4 years of schooling, updating and fine tuning my education, adjusting it as needed. But no, sign here, her and here, for your student loans and make sure you pay it in time because it effects your credit'
I went in some more and she listened. She asked would I be able to speak to some students about what I said. I told her for what? It's too late for them, they already signed in the dotted line, they sign a contract that puts them in debt for at least the next 10, 20 years. Doesn't matter anyway. Because we are seeing the effects of this Pandemic right now, and it's about to get worst. She wanted to know what I meant by that and I told her she knows because she sees it.
We exchanged emails and cell numbers after she purchased me a cup of coffee. She asked me what I do for a living and I told her I'm retired. She couldn't believe my age. So far she has called me 8 times since we met. Today or tomorrow she wants to continue the conversation by asking me questions either at her place or my place, but she said she wants to see how I live.
She called a little while ago and she is coming over now.
TBC
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