Growing Up in Chicago
I have an extremely hard time placing importance on the deeds and accomplishments that I have done in my life – my entire lifetime. It all began when my mother could not attend my 8th-grade graduation from Brentano Elementary School; and even though it was for a very good reason, she was not there, nonetheless. This left a very deep impression on me.
I see this now as the beginning of a pattern of indifference that stayed with me and even plagued me in my life – my entire lifetime. Throughout my high school years at J. Sterling Morton High School East in Cicero, Illinois, I never thought of applying myself and didn’t really care about anything.
My mother was a waitress who worked nights so I was left to my own resources. I watched a lot of television on my black and white 20″ television set. I did not do particularly well, nor did I do particularly poorly in school. One teacher told me “Bernico, you’re very intelligent, but you’re really weird.”
No one took the time to take any interest in this weird little kid who showed no interest in anything related to school. Even though I graduated from high school, I was short and I was weird.
I showed interest in things that didn’t have any particularly positive effects on my life. I never drank, smoked (anything), or did any drugs… I was just weird.
Military Service
In 1972, I joined the United States Air Force and was stationed at Norvenich Fliegerhorst, West Germany. During that time I earned an Associate of Arts Degree with Honors, and a Certificate in Mid-Management. I did not think it was a big deal.
It was something I just did.
After the Air Force, I went back to Chicago and started working for IBM in the copier repair division.
I worked there for 2 years then joined the United States Navy, where I joined the submarine forces, and earned my “dolphins” (a qualification submariners have to earn by becoming qualified on every system on the sub). I was placed in the Naval Nuclear Power Program where I became a reactor operator, nuclear shift supervisor, nuclear division leading LPO, training LPO, and had many other important duties.
They were somethings I just did.
Subsequent Dids
During my time in the Navy, I served on two different nuclear submarines, was stationed at Subase Pearl Harbor in the nuclear repairs division, went to many different advanced electronic training and schools, ran nuclear repair packages, started and developed the nuclear test equipment program, and many other assignments. I even became a PADI divemaster, medic first aid, and SCUBA instructor in my off-duty time. After I was discharged from the Navy, I went to work for an insurance and investment company where I earned my 6 and 63 licenses. I went to work for a computer superstore and learned about digital cameras and editing, then eventually became a photographer and graphic designer. I also went to my local public access television station, trained to become a producer, camera operator, editor, and studio director, and created television shows for content for the public access stations.
All of these accomplishments did not mean a lot to me.
They were more somethings I just did.
What’s MY Point?
My point IS, all of these things that I did – all of the accomplishments, the skills, the abilities, the experience – did not mean anything to me. Not in a sense-of-pride manner.
They were somethings I just did.
After I did them, I would say to myself “Is that it? What’s next?”
The Epiphany
Sometimes epiphanies appear above your head like a bright light bulb; other times, they explode like a cannonball right in front of your face and knock you to the ground. If you survive, then you have some valuable insight about yourself through the self-realizations you just experienced.
The Apostrophe
In a future post, we will delve into how these epiphanies created apostrophes and what they mean moving forward in the ongoing chapters and sagas of my life.
