Things I wish I had been doing in High School (instead of drinking)

Reading books that matter.
Spending more time talking to successful people.
Finding a mentor.
Taking AP classes.
Volunteering.
Spending ten minutes a day in quiet reflection.
Being a mentor.

I was just reading a piece over at The Claremont Institute.

America has been described as an ongoing experiment in self-government, an experiment that can and will fail if the American people ever lose sight of the principles upon which America was founded. The same challenge faces our democratic friends around the world, including those in Iraq who are bravely attempting to bring self-government to a region of the world where it has been little known.

The article is written by Tom Krannawitter. I am sure he did not waste his high school days. As Dean Wormer put it; "fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life son" This is not the part of the story where I blame my parents for letting me have an apartment at 17. I was all for it, I lobbied hard for the chance to prove I could handle the responsibility. In the end, this turned out to be a flawed plan. My grades were always respectable. 3.0 and above for the first two years, then down to 2.14 my junior year followed by an astounding 0.17 the first quarter of my senior year. The realization that if I wanted to sleep through the first two periods hit me soon after school started. My Mom and Dad did drop the hammer on me when they received that grade update. I did a few calculations and came up with the minimum number of classes/most amount of absences I could get away with and followed my plan to graduation. I never did get an 'F' on any report card, although I did earn a few 'incompletes'.

Oh to hit the rewind button!

I look at people like Mr. Krannawitter and wonder if I could have developed a deep, critical thinking mind as sharp as his if I had focused on my education as a young man? I have been playing catch-up since my late twenties when I started reading Shelbe Foote and Ambrose. The past few years I have been reading the 'classics', Shakespeare and the Bible. I love the use of language and enjoy the history lessons. I am trying kindle an interest in reading and history to my son. He would rather play his PS2, but I just keep dripping little bits of it on him to at least make him aware what is out there. Last year I was listening to the radio on my way to his school to pick him up. The radio host had his 'man on the street' interviewing people outside NYU. He asked them three question; Who is the current Vice President? Who is the Secretary of State? Who is the Secretary of defense?
They interviewed 7 or 8 college students before they found one who could answer all the questions. I pick up my son and started on our way home, I asked him the same questions. He answered all of they correctly.

I may not be such a screw-up after all.