September 2005
After graduating from high school, I decided to study electrical engineering at college. I managed to get decent grades, and I was even offered acceptance into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society during my sophomore year (I declined the membership). During this time, I also spent two summers working at Argonne National Laboratory as a computer programmer, and my internship experience, while a positive one, fostered doubts about my chosen career path. Furthermore, I had always dreaded going to my engineering classes, and it seemed like college was more about the degree than it was about the education. In truth, I was confused and felt like I was wasting my time, so I dropped out early in my junior year.
About this same time, I became very interested in trading futures, and I decided to immerse myself in the markets. For two years, these experiences provided me with amazing challenges and a certain sense of adventure. I was taking welding classes at the local community college in the evenings, but I still managed to trade almost every afternoon. I soon started an online journal to chronicle my trades, and the results were quite good (I have attached a compilation of these journal entries below). It even seemed like I would be able to turn my passion for the markets into a viable career, but in the end, trading gave me nothing that I wanted and everything that I needed. In place of riches, I gained wisdom, patience, prudence, and realism. Time will tell, but I think that I may have gotten the better deal.
Download “NQ Trades” Journal (PDF)
I am currently employed as a welder for a manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. My employer no longer allows entrance into its pension plan, but 401(k) accounts are available for new employees. The company offers to match my contributions up to a certain level, and I think that is a great benefit. However, I am just starting out in this career, and by the time that I can afford to make adequate contributions to my account, I will have missed many important years for investing. While it now seems that the 401(k) has all but replaced the corporate pension, I believe that every American, regardless of his or her income, should have access to a safe and secure pension plan.
I am not quite sure why I have made so many personal sacrifices for something like Social Security reform, but I guess it would be fair to say that this project has become a matter of duty. I find it unconscionable that men with wives and children are fighting in our wars while young men like myself are spending their time in pursuit of wine, women, and song. If we are at war, then the whole country is at war, and everyone must do his or her part. At the same time, I am having a difficult time reconciling the idea of this war with my beliefs. Therefore, I chose to serve in a different way. I decided to apply my best efforts towards the creation of a practical solution for Social Security reform, and this endeavor has been my consuming passion since October of 2004. Even though I am in no position to tell this country anything, I hope that the American people will listen to me. While I may not have a rifle in hand, I believe that I am helping to defend the honor of my country.