John (Jody) Willard:
CLASS OF 1983
Schaumburg High SchoolClass of 1983
Schaumburg, IL
Mt. St. Joseph High SchoolClass of 1983
Baltimore, MD
Wilde Lake High SchoolClass of 1983
Columbia, MD
Centennial High SchoolClass of 1983
Ellicott city, MD
Wilde Lake Middle SchoolClass of 1979
Columbia, MD
John (Jody)'s Story
Life
Moved from here to there to that place - Laurel - Columbia - Schaumberg - Laurel - Ellicott City - Grandma and Grandad were so good to me - that apartment really sucked with no furniture - mom caught the food on fire - help me, I can't breath - wow, look at that thing fly - bam bam bang boom - salt tunneling - fire in the woods - I'll die if I smoke dope - party party party - watosie - let me fire up your eyebrows - chugalug - want ta take a shower? - I'll beat your ass - why is there blood on your hands? - E.B.O.S. - Merriweather Post fence breech - You sure look hot in those jeans - Funions never looked so painful - Our next war will be fought for the highest interest of mankind - I see it too - Milan, Ohio of all the things to steal - Just let me play a little golf in the back yard - Rosco, Boscko and Albert - Moo - On a dark desert highway - I kill it for you - don't play with guns - You sure look good in that sweater - praise God for halter tops - FLASH Bee-eew KABOOM - slap slap slap "well I know he had black hair" - would you like a beer - what happened to my body - we're doing what? - beer now - there's always rooms for shrooms - I'm staying here - I'm going where? THERE ARE NO GIRLS! - Jumped to his death - Knifed by pissed off dealer - alcoholic blood poisoning - 10 gauge to the head - Hail Mary full of grace - demos dei regatum est - Shazam! - click click click - wouldn't you like to eat a .45? - a speck of mold - do you have a problem with my woodie? - two households both alike in dignity - porno at the other house - pizza in my hair - trapped on the way back from aunt Mae's - lunch at the cemetery - hail Dorothy the wicked witch is dead - I do, I DO!, I do? I Do - only the finest and most aromatic beets - cone head - we have found an abnormality which may be normal for you - nice legs - I'm a militant anticommunist - if you are late you will be considered absent - that's fine but I need to pay for my hookers - we've never had anyone apply with real experience - you too can be part of this - it's only the highest lead I've ever measured - this gig is up - oh my god your take home is what? - his hair is so red - my mind hasn't been as clear as I'd like - that's a no brainer - an inverted pyramid - it will give us new resources - we are men - I'm outta here - do you remember getting a $10,000 check? - I know you put in ten 16-hour days in Idaho, but I want more from you - this is much better than I remember - you are a poster child - if we win will you dive in the puddle? - but I knew what would be coming off those subs would be worse than anything I'd be dropping on them - bishops in full regalia with arguments concerning G - come with me - come with - where am I - who am I - today is the first day - holy holy holy lord - you are the only one who seems to have a coherent plan - in the rafters of a barn - 9 feet by 9 feet is not 9 square feet - nannies and grannies - chicken! chicken! chicken! - you mean she liked me back then? - I've found a place of peace - where do I go from here? - Owww, oouch, you have no idea - the serpent at the tabl...Expand for more
e - Sold for 1.4 - What the hell - slept a week - coma for a week - what the hell am I doing for a week - back to the beginning - back on the rails - who do you serve? - sipping from the fire hydrant - the barren field - blessed are those that thirst - all has been in preparation - bird man - dignity to the living and the dead - I have seen the promised land - a wish I grew up in your home - the cup of salvation - the light amidst the darkness - A wait patiently to love and serve
School
School was a nightmare to me. I actually attended three High schools in the first semester. About half a month at Wilde Lake, about two months at Centennial, then ended up in Schaumburg. We were in Schaumburg for the rest of freshman year and I finished sophomore year at Schaumburg because Craig Potter's family let me stay with them to finish the year (boy were they brave!). Came back to Maryland and my mother put me in Mount Saint Joseph HS in Baltimore (an all boys catholic school), which was an hour or more bus ride from our house in Laurel or half hour by car.
I partied pretty hard from freshman through sophomore year and then had a series of deaths of friends (all drug and alcohol related) that scared the crap out of me (when would I be next?) and I quit just about all drugs pretty quickly. I came to realize after I had "sobered" up that I had missed too much having been high all the time. I loved all my party friends and wouldn't trade those relationships or experiences, but I realized I missed out on many other friendships that I could have had, or was too stoned to see, or see clearly.
At Mt. St. Joe I was still coming to terms with all the "aftermath" of drug issues and was basically feeling depressed and forced to be studious. In senior year I had two particular teachers really made a difference in my life (David Belz and Nan Collins) who opened up a whole new part of the universe to me. I can't fully explain it, but "the scales fell from my eyes" and I started getting involved in life instead of hanging back and watching it roll by.
I just wish I had participated more in life during those other years.
I went to Loyola College with some interest in the Jesuit order. Had serious conversations and discerned for about a year. Fr. John Brunette, a friend and spiritual director taught me a great lesson: Nothing is more sacred than family and you don;t have to wear a black cassock to preach the good news.
Eventually finished up in December of 1988 and graduated in Jan 1989. Continued to self-educate for many years. I finally started my MA in Historical Studies at UMBC 1998 and finished up in 2003.
I taught a number of courses, Western Civilization, oral history, and Humanities Seminar. Started research for a Ph.D., but my topic became reclassified during 2nd Bush Administration and I questioned the utility of what I was doing.
Started some church related education and found myself called to holy orders. I have gone through discernment process at the Episcopal Church and should be attending seminary in Fall of 2010.
The education continues.
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