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From: rjv@ihdev.UUCP (ron vaughn)
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: this yuppie's opinion, or......
Message-ID: <143@ihdev.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 16-Jan-85 22:25:18 EST
Article-I.D.: ihdev.143
Posted: Wed Jan 16 22:25:18 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 17-Jan-85 13:45:59 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 70

....or   life on the well travelled road.

sunny's recent letter (you know the one) was really something.  one of
those "eye openers" that really wakes you up, esp. lines like "....swirl
of matter as god flushes his toilet."  that was quite a letter, congrats
are due!!!

BUT (there had to be a but....) i don't completely agree with the line

"if you aren't on 'the road less travelled', then you're wasting incarnations."

some of us are RIGHT on the road OFTEN travelled (me for example, just
graduated from college, working for at&t, going to night school for my M.S.,
buying all kinds of electronic goodies, new car, a YUPPIE from square one).
just because you ARE on the road often travelled doesn't mean you've thrown
your life away.  it doesn't mean your not living, thinking, growing, and 
helping others grow.  we've all gone through the "why the hell am i here?
what should i REALLY be doing with my life?  why am i such an insignificant
speck on the face of this insignificant world...etc."  but some of us are here
by CHOICE.  sure, i'd love to quit work and my masters program, go live in
europe for a few years, travel about, meet new people, cultures, ideas.
nothings stopping me, but i've chosen to stay where i am.  in fact, i chose
to come here in the first place.  i enjoy my work.  i enjoy my masters program
(although i'll never admit it in public, so don't quote me B-).  of course, 
this sounds like the "me" generation speaking, and in part it is.  

but at the same time this "me" generation yuppie isn't just sitting here 
rotting away.  i work for a company that does everyone a nice service
(esp. before being broken up, but that's another story...).  you can say
all you want about people who hit 9-5 jobs (9pm-5am for programmers B-), 
but you still pick up the phone when you want to order pizza.  so i have
an enjoyable job with a company i feel provides a nice service.  i'm doing
my part at work, they pay me nicely.  i get satisfaction from my work.  it's
a big part of my life.  am i wrong in doing this?  being on this well travelled
road??  i'm spending a lot of time getting an M.S.  someday i might like to
teach.  again, going for degrees probably isn't on the "road less travelled",
but i really enjoy it, it's my choice.  being a prof. is a pretty well
travelled path, but talk about helping people grow!!!  academically, anyway,
which is a pretty important way to grow (along with the others).

i guess what i'm trying to say is those of us on the road well travelled often
HAVE looked around, we've seen all the roads, and this is the one we've chosen.
your letter condemned that action.  "...wasting incarnations.", but i don't
think it's so bad.  every woman on the net knows she can go tell her boss to
stick it, but they're also realistic enough to know that's not always the best
way to get things done.  the people in net.unix-wizards are doing something
they enjoy!!  they like it, it's "their bag".  you can find your spirit within
your body, your journey etc. and still be married, have kids, mow your lawn
every saturday and live in Suburbia U.S.A.  most don't, but don't blank
condemn those of us that do.  sure, in some ways it's copping out, but the
reason a lot of people are there (suburbia U.S.A. for example) is because
they like it.  that's why places like that are so popular in the first place.

we all read net.singles because being single is a neat time in your life
(for most of us).  most of us are trying to pick a mate for life.  someone
to share it all with.  i enjoy life, but i enjoy it 100 times more when i
share it with melinda.  sure, that makes some of my happiness dependent 
upon her, i'm PW'd at times, but at least i realize my situation.  i've CHOSEN
it, it makes me (and hopefully her) the happiest.  i'm still me, i still have
my individuality, my personal goals, failures etc., but i (like the XXX% of
the rest of the world) found the highs higher, (the lows lower) when you share
them with a mate.  it's those higher highs that i'm (we're) after....


your letter was terrific, i congratulate you again!!  


i CAN cook, but with my legs, i think a dress is out of the question B-),

	ron vaughn  ...!ihnp4!ihdev!rjv