A Little About Me (5/29/19)

Brother, son, veteran, soldier, student. These are some of the words that describe me, but I’m not sure that they define me. I was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia where my summers were like any other kids. Playing in the cul-de-sac, climbing trees, getting into the same mischievous shenanigans any other kid born in the early 90s committed. I left for the Army two weeks after the conclusion of high school to avoid getting trapped in the spiral of despair, dead-end jobs, drug and gang activity, and bad relationships that so many young people get stuck in being products of lower-class economic and social groups. I left for the Army and didn’t look back to the south for seven years until I decided to better myself by pursuing higher education. In what? Where? I wasn’t sure. I ended up choosing the University of Alabama after deciding I wanted to pursue a degree in Finance and comparing Alabama’s business school to other schools of similar size and caliber. (Being a huge Alabama football fan MAY have contributed a little bit).

               I started school here at the University of Alabama this past January and it’s been quite a shock to the system following seven years of order, discipline, brother/sisterhood in the Army. I’ve experienced feeling ranging from loneliness to despair in that I had made the wrong decision by getting out of the only job I had known for my entire adult life. Finishing the first semester in April provided me with some much-needed motivation, seeing those final grades “on paper” provided me with a sense of accomplishment and feeling of “moving forward” I had been craving. I’m now buckling down on five summer classes, putting my nose to the grindstone, and continuing to move forward, never backward.

My biggest inspiration is my father. He taught me to be an honorable man that people can rely on. To be the kind of man who when he says he’ll do something people have no doubt in their mind that he’ll do it. Whether it be something as small as returning a borrowed pencil to something as large as obtaining a degree in Finance. My father taught me the value of hard work with long summer days landscaping; chopping back wild Georgia weeds and moving heaps of earth from one position to another. He always taught me to do anything I ever put my mind to, to the best of my ability and I’ve taken that through my life. I believe it’s helped me immensely along the way gaining people’s trust, respect, and sometime admiration from my subordinates in the Army. He passed away two years ago but I think he’d be happy to see me going back to pursue higher education, as late as it may be. We used to cut a nice old lady’s lawn who lived down the street who was a widow and all my dad would ever accept as payment was buttered biscuits and tea. I asked him about this one day and he just shrugged dismissively after a little bit of thought and said “it’s the right thing”.

My Best Friend (5/30/19)

He was my bunk mate for the longest, loneliest, and hardest two month of my life. I met Tyler during the summer of 2012 at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. We were at boot camp, being screamed at, berated, and broken down to be built back up by the meanest, angriest drill sergeants you’ll ever meet. It was a long two months but we developed a strong bond picking up each others slack to make sure we made it out the other side and that bond continues to today. He’s in Virginia now with a wife a beautiful baby daughter recruiting tomorrow’s soldiers but we keep our contact strong.

My Three Wishes (6/4/19)

If I were given three wishes from a genie I would firstly wish my father were still around and hadn’t passed at such a young age. I wish he’d be around to see his future grand children because he would have been a great grandfather. Then I’d wish for enough money to where I’d bever be afraid again of being hungry or homeless. What that dollar amount is I’m not sure, I’ll leave that up to the genie. I’d then wish for my mother’s health and strength to improve.

Summer Fun (6/5/19)

The only thing I plan to do over this summer is homework, work, and working out. I’m taking five summer classes which isn’t too bad of a workload. I work nights at a local Tuscaloosa bar called Alcove. And I workout obsessively because I value fitness very much. If I didn’t need to be doing those three things I’d be doing some traveling in South America.

Jacob in the Stars (6/6/19)

If I were to choose an actor to play me it would probably be Joshua Hutcherson. I choose him because he’s seemingly low-key. I’ve always had the ideal that men should only say things that they’ve thought through and genuinely hold that way you don’t lose the value of your word. Also Joshua and I have similar builds and facial structures.

My Vice (6/7/19)

There are a few things I’m pretty addicted to. I absolutely love long runs, craft beers, and movies. I probably go to the theater at least once a week to watch whatever new movie is out. It doesn’t matter which, I just love the feel of the cinema, the lights, sounds, the shared experience with a bunch of strangers, and definitely a bag of salty, buttery popcorn. I love walking into a new brewery with the excitement of wondering what kinds of crazy crafts they’ll have on tap, not unlike the feel of Christmas morning. And something about zoning out on a long run, placing one foot after the other just clears the head.

An American’s Love of Korean (6/7/19)

By far and away my favorite food in the world is Korean BBQ. Bulgoki, samgyeopsal, budae-jigae, and kimchi. Topped off with a few rounds of soju shots. I love it because the the intense spice and flavors, the social setting in a semi-circle around a hot open-flame BBQ. The over-whelming smells for the western palate. The salty, savory, tangy taste of the beef hot off the grill, dripping with juices and making your mouth water.

Right Now (6/11/19)

Right now I’m feeling the ridges between the keys on my laptop as they give to the pressure of my fingers, I hear the little satisfying click that follows each keystroke. I see four small sniffer glasses of four shades of beer, a picture I inserted in a previous post on my “about me” page. I hear a bird outside the window of our beige walled classroom, whistling it’s happy tune. I smell my own cologne, a musky scent. I taste the remnants of my lunch, a fried egg sandwich with lots of hot sauce and a side of kimchi.

When I was Most Afraid (6/13/19)

It was the summer between my junior and senior year of high school. My house was on fire and I was awoken from the sound of my dog desperately trying to get out of my room. I ended up sustaining major burns on my arms and torso but everyone else was ok.

At the Happiest (6/14/19)

“I want pancakes!” Adalynn exclaimed joyfully. “I think that can be arranged young lady.” I responded as I tried my absolute best not to wake up Chelsea, my girlfriend and her mother. I put on some cartoons in the living room and poured a bowl of kibble for Daisy, our golden retriever. Those Sunday mornings were the happiest I’ve ever been.

A Dream Destination (6/18/19)

If I could go anywhere in the world right now it would be Antarctica. There’s just something about the vastness. The wilderness. The testing yourself it takes to go to somewhere so remote and desolate. I think it would be a great place to go to truly test yourself and find yourself. To chase something.

An Improved Balanced Budget Amendment (6/18/19)

The ultimate thesis of this article is highlighting a proposed bill called “House Joint Resolution 2” in 2011. This proposed amendment which 62% of the house of representatives voted for would have required a super majority to ever raise the national debt ceiling again. This bill received the affirmative vote of all but four republicans and twenty-five Democrats which if you’ve watched any news these days is significant as far as bi-partisan support goes. The intended audience of this article is the American people on the whole and it highlights the issues with the continued raising of our national debt limit and how easily it could be solved and the fact that it’s actually something that is supported on both sides of the isle, nobody wants another catastrophe economically. I believe the article is very effective in conveying its point that HJR2 was an effective bill that received huge bi-partisan support but ultimately didn’t pass the two-thirds majority required. It was effective in the authors use of examples and explaining the “so what” of these major fiscal issues.

My Dream Job (6/18/19)

My dream job is absolutely to be a battalion commander in the United States Army. I would love to manage an organization as dynamic and effective as a battalion of 350-500 soldiers. Being responsible for their health, welfare, training, and professional advancement. It would be an extremely stressful job, but one that is incredibly rewarding. I think I have ideas to better an organization that would benefit the soldiers, spouses, and families of the entire unit increasing the morale and productivity of all.

Describing Jacob (6/20/19)

If I were to boil down myself into three simple words it might be “dedicated”, “dependable”, and “honest.” I believe I’m dedicated because once I put my mind to something I WILL accomplish it, no matter how difficult. I believe I’m dependable because I think a man’s value comes from his ability to follow through with what’s expected of him and that he follows his word. And I believe honesty is always the most important interpersonal thing to have, without it what is the point of any relationship? An Act?

Blackfish (6/21/19)

Blackfish, a documentary about the horror of the Orca whale enslavement and captivity largely at Sea World focused on a particularly sad case of Tilikum, but also about the industry as a whole. It was so incredibly disheartening to imagine the loneliness and confusion that these amazingly intelligent animals must face everyday in their imprisonment having their babies taken from them and shipped off, forced to perform “tricks” for food, or punished of they do not perform them “correctly” and locked in tiny concrete pools; completely foreign from their natural habitat of hundreds of miles of open ocean. The documentary was very effective at making the suffering of the orcas relatable. It made you imagine being imprisoned, ripped from nature, having your babies stolen. It even showed the opposing viewpoint from the gentleman who was supportive of the industry which was refreshing, despite me disagreeing with him categorically. It was very effective at telling a story for an animal that cannot speak for itself. I felt very engaged the whole time by the constant emotional scenes and hoping for a resolution. Documentaries are a very effective way to communicate reality, framed in whatever way the filmmaker decides to, of course. A good documentary has an angle, but isn’t so biased that it turns the viewer off, the viewer doesn’t want to be “preached at.” A good documentary is engaging and emotional.

My Favorite Non-Fiction (6/21/19)

I enjoy non-fiction about historical people. I like learning what they did and how they did it. How they survived and overcame whatever issues they were facing, how they made it through famine, plague, war. But I do enjoy a heartwarming story as well.

If Money Wasn’t a Thing (6/26/19)

If I could do anything with my time because money wasn’t a thing. I could survive without it. I’d definitely try to learn everything I could. I’d get every degree possible and try to be a true intellectual. I’d read the books I haven’t had time to get around to. I’d enjoy my time.

Something Funny (6/26/19)

One time a 19 year old Jacob was backpacking in Thailand. I was alone and all I had was the clothes in my backpack. My phone was dead and I was walking along the side of a street. Someone pulls up next to me and yells “hey Jacob!” I was shocked to hear my name and I looked up and it was none other than a childhood friend, Luke. He had moved there after high school and was running a local bar. We ended up hanging out for a couple of days, catching up and having fun. The world is smaller than you might think. And friendships continue despite time and distance.