Liza May wrote:
>
> Hi David,
>
> Thanks for your personal story. :)  You're a great example of a
> "decent" person, who LOVES his field, and actually (wonder of
> wonders!!) appreciates the education he was able to get in college.
>
> Well, I sure am glad SOMEBODY spoke up! :) I was beginning to think
> that maybe there wasn't anybody on this list that had good feelings
> about their college education!!. All I can say is, I personally feel
> VERY VERY VERY lucky to have had the opportunity to go to college.
> And I am SO glad my kids have, too.

Dear Liza,

I'm afraid that you and I are talking past each other.  You know
what I mean?  I have some very good feelings about my college educa-
tion, and I also feel very lucky to have had such an opportunity,
but the tone of your writing implied, to me, that people who have
degrees are more worthwhile people than those who don't, and you
painted a rather strangely rosy picture of the academic world and
those who inhabit it.  I think that we are each overemphasizing
aspects of the issue which we feel the other is ignoring, so we both
end up sounding one-sided.  I hope we can agree that academia isn't
all bad, and it isn't all good.  Yes?

Carol