Peter Clifford:
CLASS OF 1974
East Gaston High SchoolClass of 1974
Mt. holly, NC
Peter's Story
Life After high school
Spent ten years in bomb disposal with the US Air Force. Married an English lady and traveled around the pacific rim countries. While in the Philippines I was involved in the Marcos removal of the 1980's. After leaving the Air Force with an honorable discharge I finished my Associates degree in Computer Programming and Analysis. We both worked for Disney World for two years in the Magic Kingdom.
Then we moved to England where I finished my Bachelors degree, with Honours, in Applied Computing and went through Teacher's training. For work I was funded, in 2007, to build a computer center to teach young people how to use the various software packages available. In April '09 my duties were expanded. I was given responsibility for the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) known as the Virtual campus (VC). This is a closed, secure, internet-based environment for students to go into and take college courses or find job opportunities. It allowed me to utilize my degree and my teaching certification as well as provide opportunities on which to base my Masters dissertation as I have to provide statistics and security reports.
June '09 I started (as a second job) work, as an unqualified librarian, in a small Youth Offenders Institute library to gain the field (work) experience I needed for my MSc degree. In September '09 I started my MSc degree program in "Library & Information Studies". Hopefully this will allow me to mellow into my later years!
In November '09 I moved to another job as Manager for Functional Skills for The Manchester College which is the largest college in Europe.
Everyone who really knows me knows that I had a rather loud, noisy, happy, laughter-filled early life! (ask those who were in grade school with me). An astrologer has said about me that there are people from my childhood who are still in therapy from the things that I got up to and that my teenage years do not bear even being repeated because of my antics!! He said this without me even talking to him!! I think that he may have been correct to a degree. But I always had a self-image of being "laid back" and mellow.
In Aug 2012 I was awarded MSc in Information & Library Studies where I found myself getting pretty heavily involved in Information Literacy. January 2013 found me volunteering as a Librarian with Keele University (UK) to get practical academic experience as a foundation for moving into the Library career field properly. I worked re-classifying books in the law library and withdrawing books from circulation as well as learning the different librarian duties of a large organisation.
In July 2013 I started work for the UK National Health Service (NHS) as an Assistant Librarian with the main duty of teaching and supporting students in Information Literacy, on an outreach basis, to find information for their papers, dissertations, research and conference papers. Along with this I am the e-resources librarian and provide input to the local radio station on the activities of the library. I also get to manage/run the library intranet & twitter accounts.
2015 arrived and with it my boss retired and I became deputy Head Librarian for the Healthcare library. At the same time I began the process of building a stand-alone leisure reading library for the NHS staff and patients. Not much more pay but a load of experience that will stand me in good stead when I finally take on the head Librarian position in the future. It's all good. I love this job.
We are living sedately in our own home and are enjoying life as much as possible. We travel as much as we can but are more than happy with each others company. We do not, necessarily, need others to be fulfilled. Living just 14 miles from the beach we go, at least, once a week and walk along it and watch the sun rise and set over the north atlantic. My wife and I do find that life is pretty good. I hope that you do also.
30 August 2019 - Due to some health problems in summer 2018 I decided to retire a few years early and move back to the USA as my in-laws have passed away and, really, after twenty-five years I feel that I have accomplished what I needed to accomplish in England. It's finally time to focus on looking after my health. Now I will be moving to be around those who have loved and supported me most over the decades (even when being the obstinate sh*t we all know that I can be). I am not looking forward to the boring part of retirement but I am looking forward to spending more time with my family (both birth and extended). I cannot imagine what I will come up with to give structure to my days. Nancy Rhyne wrote in my high school year book "You never seem to know what you are doing but you always seem happy doing it" (was this her way of saying ignorance is bliss for me?). Probably not far off of the mark. I guess I will be as surprised as everyone else. Time to start another chapter in life's book.
Aaannnddd what a start!!!.... January 2020... The first thing that happened -- my diabetes kicked off and I went into the hospital, overnight, with a blood pressure of 211/197 (at first they couldn't get the monitor to read my blood pressure) when standing and about 78/60 when sitting down. They were taking bets that I would stroke-out before they co...Expand for more
uld do anything. But, the medical personnel were brilliant and I was never more happy about being in America where we have access to very professional and knowledgeable medical practitioners. I am now closely watching my weight and blood glucose levels. I dodged the bullet on that one (for now). The next thing to happen was in March 2020. The Governors of the US states ordered a lock-down using the coronavirus (covid 19) as an excuse. They couldn't even bother to cover over their scam. Our Constitutional rights took a full-frontal attack. I walk on the beach most mornings to have some exercise and there are very few people so it is easy to maintain "the social distance". I can feel it helping my health.
November 2022 - I was debating if I wanted to update this or not. It seems you get (or at least I have) lazy about some aspects of living as we get older. For instance, I am horrible at answering emails now. That used to be a social\work type thing. Not anymore. But, here goes ---
Nothing much has changed over two years with the exception of my health. I’m doing a lot better physically. My beard has grown a lot since 2020 It’s down to my sternum now. It makes my head look upside-down as I have no hair on top!
Go to the gym for a workout three days a week. But I don’t stick to it so religiously that I get tired of going. Have a nice routine for the workouts. Walk on the beach most weekdays. Again, if I need time off from it, or just don’t feel like it, I don’t go. But we usually do go. Everyday we try to get out into the sun for a bit.
For quite a while I was taking a short nap every day. But a few months back I stopped because it started interfering with my sleep patterns at night. I guess my body had healed enough that naps just made me restless. Don’t really know but it works for me.
Work on the computer quite a bit. I am putting together a recipe program and I try to keep track of what is happening in the covid world. So, probably needless to say, I have more information than I know what to do with!
Aside from that I grow plants (tomato, other, etc :-) ), read a lot. Found a bookstore in a library where the books costs about 25 cents a piece. Some cost a little more (50 cents, $1) but not much more. So I am reading a lot more now that I have the time to do so.
In May 2022 for my formal retirement year we took an extensive trip around Oregon to see what the state was like. Went west across the middle of the state, up to the northeast, back to the northwest, down to the redwoods south and then back up through Grants Pass to home. IMHO the national forests and most of the scenery is incredible. Just one story: When we drove into the mountains by the coast it started snowing. It was unbelievable. Looked like a winter wonderland right off of a puzzle box. (for some reason it reminded me of McAdenville at Christmas when we were younger). All those evergreen trees with snow lining the branches was such a beautiful sight. If you get the chance to have a little visit… take it!
I check on my classmates account periodically just to see if anything changes. For those who may not know – you can send messages through classmates if you want to contact people from the class who have created accounts. I get visits from some people now and then. But I’m not sure if they’re just looking or saying Hi or maybe “I’m here”. Whatever the reason I don’t mind. It’s nice to be remembered.
Now, here we are moving like a freight train into 2023. What things are coming towards us on our journey? Don’t know but I’m pretty sure it won’t be boring. Stay safe and keep fit.
For the first time in human history death has been visited on the human race due to the actions of a few homo sapiens. who wish to depopulate the world. This is, obviously, a huge event of epic proportions regardless of which side you are on that will be remembered for the life of the human race (regardless of how long the human race lasts). The creation of Homo Borg-Genesis is not a conspiracy theory but it is a conspiracy and a fact. Take care of the future for the children.
A little poem called "No":
Look at what you tried
to do.
Millions died
because you told them to
and I’m clear
you wanted me too.
You thought you’d planned it
oh so well.
You didn’t care if they
went to heaven
or if
they went to hell.
That’s what you wanted
for me.
Now you want amnesty.
But millions died
because you told them to.
Can you tell me just
what’s wrong with you?
You got them
and you want me too.
You closed life to those like me
who just could not understand
your insanity.
You made it crystal clear
in one way or another
death awaits us soon.
And… now… the courts await you.
A human wasteland is what you’ve tried
to build.
In your delusion
you lost track of what is real.
But millions died
because you told them to.
While I did the only thing
that I could do.
I said No.
___________________________________________________________________________
I wish, hope and pray that each of you stay safe and healthy...... Good luck
202? - ?
Obviously & unfortunately, we don't stay 18 forever do we?!
But even so, who woulda thought back in '74......
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