Thursday, Aug 26th, 1976

A fast fading dream involved a rainy Winter walk with Debbie and some other people through a big city.

The TV repairman called to postpone 'til next Tuesday.

Didn't get to work until 8 again tonight but later saw Hitchcock on THE MEN WHO MADE THE MOVIES. Also watched Bernadette on an old LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE.

Read an interesting article about Marilyn Monroe in Mom's FAMILY CIRCLE.

I really think IT will be much easier to avoid once I switch to PLAYBOY.

Had trouble with today's comics history chapter but I rearranged some of the contents and will try again tomorrow.

I just realized how quickly the days go by. It won't be very long at all before I'm back in school, then a short time 'til Christmas, then school's out again, this time with me graduating! Virtually all hope of college ended, though, when I read an article detailing the complexities of getting in and being in today. It's as bad as high school. Why can't you just go, learn, then leave? But no, they expect you to get involved. Looks like between now and next summer, I'll have to find something to do after it's all over. Sigh. I'm sorry to say it but as more of an observer than a participant, I'm seeing less and less of a future for myself.

NOTES: All I needed was some guidance and I'd have gone to college but I felt completely alone and didn't know what to do. Neither of my parents knew what to do either as neither had gone to college. Well, actually, as I recall, my dad did start at a small local community college but had to quit to help work the farm. Don't even think my mother graduated high school. Both were smart, though, just not so much with "book learnin'."

Part of the issue was my sometimes paralyzing shyness in person, a flaw that holds me back even to this day. I'll be all over the place in print, name-dropping, telling stories, jokes, anecdotes and trivia but I can be such a wallflower in person. My parents were always told I would grow out of it. I didn't. If you have a particularly shy child, please don't presume they'll grow out of it. With some understanding, no-pressure, help, they may be able to get past it or work around it but if not, it can be a genuinely debilitating handicap. It always bothers me to think how successful I might have been if I had just overcome that shyness.

In fact, if I were more successful, I wouldn't have to ask for blog donations every now and then. With today's mail bringing news of a substantial increase to my Internet bill, I ask once again that if you like this blog, please consider donating via the PayPal DONATE button on the right to make sure it continues daily without interruption for the remainder of my 1976 Journal. Thanks to those who have already donated!

Seen above is the book version of the great TV documentary series, THE MEN WHO MADE THE MOVIES.