Aimlessly Moving From College to Career

Listen to tales of my academic misadventures, including a stint as the "worst teaching assistant" for Tennessee's Poet Laureate, Professor Jeff Daniel Marion, who nonetheless ignited a lifelong love for words. Discover how an opportunistic stranger in a college gym recognized my public speaking talents and nudged me towards a successful business career. Tune in for thought-provoking reflections on the lessons learned from these pivotal moments and how they shaped my life's trajectory.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Here for the memories thought-provoking audio memoir shorts filled with stories, humor, anecdotes and commentary on social, cultural, business and religious issues. Whatever Lyndon remembers and thinks will entertain, challenge and inform is a possible subject. The collection of memories about one's life allows for the development and refinement of a sense of self, including who one is, how one has changed and what one might be like in the future.

Speaker 2: 0:34

Greetings and salutations. This is Lyndon Wolfe and this is my audio memoir, called here for the Memories. It's a memoir, right? So today I'm going to share some history and some commentary. You may not like the commentary, you may not even enjoy the history, but the purpose of this whole podcast thing is to tell my story and share my opinions and what I value, and so I'm going to do that. If you don't like it, you can go somewhere else.

Speaker 2: 1:06

Anyway, I've often said the best laid plans of mice and men are often no plans at all. Because that's me, no plans at all. I never once thought about being in the world of commerce in my formative or academic years. My early plans centered on the possibility of law, but ultimately my desire for ministry led me to pursue graduate studies in theology, eventually obtaining a master's degree and a PhD, which is probably not worth the paper my diploma was written on, with the exception of the dissertation it required. That dissertation ended up being a book that I published on the Sermon on the Mount, a devotional commentary called Captivated by the King and His Kingdom. A personal encounter with the Sermon on the Mount that had some value. I learned a tremendous amount while writing that particular 45,000-page book. It really only had 45,000 words, not 45,000 pages. It just felt like it was 45,000 pages.

Speaker 2: 2:17

Anyway, I had an undergrad in English literature, even though I eschewed almost all works of fiction. English literature, even though I astute almost all works of fiction. Why English literature? Oh, by the way, I did have minors in religion, business and philosophy. Well, when I was confronted by my advisor at the beginning of my junior year, I had to choose a major. I picked the study area where I had the most accumulated hours. That happened to be English. Where I had the most accumulated hours, that happened to be English. And that was my astute methodology for this critical decision.

Speaker 2: 2:49

Since I was an English major, by the way, as a senior I was able to be a teacher's assistant, a TA, and I was privileged to be in the classroom of Professor Jeff Daniel Marion, who eventually was named Poet Laureate of the state of Tennessee. As a TA, I was entirely worthless and he told me I was the worst of his career, and I'm confident he was 100% right. He, however, had a very subconscious impact on me. His love for words was something I would never forget. Although he's passed away several years ago now, I think he might be resuscitated at the thought that I wrote a complete sentence, much less an entire book. Anyway, facing my career prospects as I transitioned from my college years into a hopefully some kind of career path, at least a job, you know, I got projected poor posture, a foul breath and a complete loss for the vernacular of the business world. I would never have hired me and probably still wouldn't.

Speaker 2: 3:52

Ironically and providentially, it was ministry that jump-started my business career and it happened as I walked through the college campus gym, a bearded 30-year-old or so man was shooting hoops by himself. I dare not mention his name as he would seek to somehow use that as a tool to further his agenda, because that's all he ever did. He had this uncanny and unsavory ability to turn any circumstance into an opportunity to benefit himself. Nearly 35 years after this chance encounter, we reconnected and instead of demonstrating curiosity over what had transpired in my life over that time, he quickly moved to trying to sell some land that he and his brother had left behind in tennessee. You know the type absolutely no clue what a symbiotic relationship is. He waved me over anyway and asked me if I'd recently preached, and he expressed appreciation for my sermon content and delivery. He called me poised and winsome and with that he had my attention. Hmm, poised and winsome.

Speaker 2: 5:01

He asked what I was doing in May, following my graduation. I said I had no definitive plans due to a Southern Baptist Convention paid summer speaking tour. I was going to be on for ten weeks in the Great Northwest. Anyway, more on that story later. I took the basketball, challenged him to one-on-one and absolutely thrashed him. He kept coming back for more and I continued to thrash him. He eventually was my boss. This is Lyndon Wolfe and you've been listening to here for the Memories. I'm so glad that you stopped by and I hope you do often. You're always welcome here. In the meantime, look back over your life and think of those times that chance encounters became a providential event that changed the course of your life, the people that have been brought into your life that caused a pivot of sorts, that moved you in the direction that you needed to go. Looking back on these things will bully your spirit and suggest, if not tell you, that there is a plan for your life.

Speaker 1: 6:13

Hello friends, If you appreciate the content and what it takes to create and deliver it, please consider a small contribution. Just go to buymeacoffeecom slash here for the memories. That's buymeacoffeecom slash here for the memories. Also, hit one of those buttons down there that encourages Lyndon to keep at it. Much appreciated.