cc: file, Diane Cluff, Darrell and Nancy Krueger, Pauline Nelson via mail, Sara and Des Penny, Grandma Hafen via Tony Hafen, Claude and Katherine Warner, and Lloyd and Luana Warner.
"The following letter came to Paul yesterday:
As I read the letter my mind jumped back to 1967-1968, when I was trying to decide which school to go to. I was the Senior Class Vice-President (Charles Garfield, the singer and base guitar player for The Keynotes and then The MydKnight Hour, was the Class President). I had been selected to go to Boy's State (I have wondered if it is only because all of the other members of The Keynotes were selected and The Kwanis Club was just being nice to me). I had received "Honors-at-Entrances" scholarships to my Dad's Alma Mater, Utah State University, and to The University of Utah. CSU (The College of Southern Utah, which is now Southern Utah State University) did not offer me any scholarship money (they were probably more accurate about my academic potential, since I graduated with a 3.07), and so there was no way I would consider going there. Not even getting an acknowledgement from CSU was an early experience with rejection. Then there was BYU.
I was a farmer. I was a hunter and fisherman. I was one of Dad's hired hands in Nelson Meat Packing Plant. I was a man who called himself `The Kid.' For years I had listened to some of my co-workers in denigrate those who go to BYU. Anyone who would go to BYU was effeminate. I was convinced, with all of the `wisdom' of youth, I would not fit in at BYU. Even after my life changing experience in Corvallis (.../9715.html), I was sure a farmboy like me would not fit into to BYU. For what it is worth, I have given more evaluation in this paragraph than I ever did when I was applying for school. It was after my mission, when I made a couple of trips down to BYU to visit missionary companions, to go to a missionary reunion, or do something else on campus, when I realized the strength of the church school.
I do not regret my choice of university. I went to The University of Utah because I had a scholarship and because my best friend, Ray Gardner, went there. Not much difference in reason than why Roice went to UT, why Ben went to A&M, or why Melanie went to UT. As I look back at my choice, if I had gone to BYU I might have made different choices as to spouse and profession. Better choices? Possibly, although I can not imagine a relationship helping me grow more than the one with your Mom has; nor can I imagine any profession I would enjoy as much as pushing the boundaries of exploration geophysics. As I watch you kids playing the games I used to play, I can't imagine Roice studying anything other than Mechanical Engineering, nor Ben married to anyone other than Sarah, nor Melanie bearing testimony to me the way she has because of her experiences at the UT Institute of Religion. It will be an interesting benchmark to watch how Paul does at BYU, relative to how each of the rest of you do in balancing the various aspects of life. It is my hope and prayer you will each always share with each other as siblings, and specifically you will come to learn from each other how to optimize your personal happiness (this often starts by knowing what to avoid). I admit I am very pleased with Paul's choice and his admission to BYU. I hope this experience provides a leven for our family for generations.
It is amazing how the school I was admitted to 30 years ago still plays a part in my daily life. Monday we had an all day technical meeting for Continuum Resources. The first thing we did was go around the table and introduce everyone. My professional training at university was of the few things I was asked to expand on. Everyone knows the University of Utah, both in computer graphics and geophysics, and though it was a mute point it was of critical interest.
Tuesday there were follow-up technical meetings with Angus Jaimeson and Mark Zoback of Stanford about drilling software in the immersive environment. In the afternoon I went downtown and met with briefly with Rick Zimmerman and then more extensively with Paula Hix, the Chief Geophysicist for Enron. In all four meetings on Tuesday, since we are establishing new professional relationships, my schooling was a topic of conversation.
Wednesday Roger Anderson came down and we had demonstrations for a couple of companies at the VETL (http://www.vetl.uh.edu). Part of the standard introduction includes `Roice has a B.S. in Geophysics from The University of Utah and was a founder of Landmark Graphics Corporation.' Thursday was spent at Energy Innovations catching up, coordinating Melanie's friends who moved furniture from the house, and working on the new corporation papers. The University of Utah came up in each of these contexts. Friday we had a major presentation to the Shelf Division of Shell Oil and to their General Manager, Paul Sullivan. Melanie helped with the demonstrations and the lunch. Part of the introductions was where we had studied at university.
Friday and Saturday night Ben and Sarah came and stayed with me for the first time. We had fun in the pool (Wizzer became a pretty good swimmer), laughing about my putting off until tomorrow writing a paper which was due last week (http://www.walden3d.com/papers/980608), going out to Jack-In-The-Box Friday evening and then being taken out for a nice Chinese meal on Saturday. Although we didn't talk about The University of Utah, the two A&M rings highlighted the importance of our choice of schools.
My point this week is related to choices. Selecting where to go to school might seem like a small thing. However, the consequences can follow us around everyday of almost any week over 30 years after the choice is made, as my comments above attest. We make lots of other seemingly small choices. Every day, in fact every hour, we choose what to and what not to think, what we read, what we write, what we watch, what to and what not to say, what we eat, what we drink, what we breathe, how we get someplace, how to spend our time, where we sleep, what we dream about, etc. Some people choose to remake these choices every day. Some people decide one time they are going to live the word of wisdom, they are going to follow the ten commandments, they are going to treat their neighbors as they wish to be treated, and then when they are placed in a circumstance where a choice needs to be made, it is usually already made. This is true freedom. Sometimes I have thought that only big choices, like whether to seek admission to BYU, are the only choices which matter, and, frankly, the impact of the smaller choices can end up larger 30 years later in our life.
Saturday evening I went to Matt Feil and Tiffany Jones wedding reception. This was a beautiful demonstration of how good choices can be made, even if there have been choices made in the past which have caused pain. I wish you all could have been there. There was a nice solid commitment demonstrated which felt very good to me. I missed the bride and groom dance, where Dan Jones and Bishop Feil played an accordian duet. I remember playing the guitar with Bishop Feil at ward activities, and I remember him teaching me how little choices can have large consequences."