Whatever you think about forgiving college loans, something jumped out at me on Twitter yesterday.

There were a lot of people on Twitter in favor of college loan forgiveness who are pompous elitists. I was going to use stronger language but I stopped myself.

Here is one of the tweets I saw:

She implied that a person who didn’t go to college is lazy and partied their senior year. Also, that a college graduate is “more understanding and well-rounded.”

Someone else tweeted that a nail salon owner took PPP money “wink wink” to pay her staff. Does this person believe shop owners aren’t honest? Seems judgmental to me. But then I’m being judgmental also.

Someone else commented that people who decided not to go to college in favor of working SHOULD have taken out a loan.

I saw over and over that college is the only path to a success for an enriched life.

I know many people who did not go to college. For example, in my high school graduating class probably 25% went to college. That estimate is probably too high. Our small town was filled with small businesses and farmers.

Our good friend who died Thanksgiving night never went to college. He was hardworking and spent his days managing and fixing up his 300-plus rental units. He enjoyed his work. He had two adult kids he loved to travel with. Would his life have been better with a college education?

I have another friend who owns a construction company who ironically builds buildings at California universities. He has a waterfront home with a yacht parked out front at his private dock. He and his wife have kids and grandkids who fill their life with joy. They spend their summer weekends on their boat at an island that they helicopter back and forth to. Would he have been better off going to college?

Another friend has owned several auto mechanic and tire shops. He and his wife are proud of their family and work hard at their business. They devote their free time volunteering at their church.

My point in this rant is that college is not the only path to success or a life filled with joy. I have a college education because it was never an option in my family not to go. My dad was first generation college grad with his parents immigrating from Finland. On my mom’s side, I’m not sure how many generations went to college. My great-grandfather owned a printing press and a newspaper. My husband’s grandmother was in the first class at UCLA that graduated women. So, yes, our kids were off to college, too.

In my humble opinion, college does not guarantee success nor happiness. Life is what you make of it.

Do you have any thoughts about the college loan forgiveness? How about whether a college education makes you a more understanding person as I read on Twitter?

My son’s girlfriend’s sister is playing in a concert in Scottsdale. She and another sister will be staying with us. I looked up the concert and guess what?

I only knew one of the artists listed as headliners for the four-day concert. How did that happen? I don’t feel like an old fogey. I used to be really into music. I kept up with music when my kids had their ipods. We listened to the radio driving to and from school and the pool.

We had a huge music festival called Coachella near our old home. My kids would go. We had friends of our kids stay with us for the concert, too. I knew the headliners if not the lesser known groups.

Here’s a link to our guest’s website with her bio and videos. She promised to play for us while she’s here since the concert she’s playing in is sold out. We’re so excited and have invited neighbors to join us for our own private concert.

Here’s the list for the upcoming concert. How many do you know?

DIPLO

With Special Guest

COLE SWINDELL

SAM HUNT

With Special Guest

RUSSELL DICKERSON

MACKLEMORE

With Special Guests

QUINN XCII AND AYOKAY

KYGO

With Special Guests

SAM FELDT AND FORESTER

Do you keep up with current music? Or do you prefer to listen to music from your youth?

I’ve noticed changes during my morning walks. A few homes have Christmas decorations. Because of our desert locale, the decorations are so very different than the ones I’d see in Southern California. In both homes, we were in the Sonoran Desert, but this end of the desert is wild, while Palm Springs was tamed and manicured. The yards and decorations in Palm Springs were traditional strings of lights along eves and a few inflatable Santas.

The weather has gotten colder and cups are placed on cactus (cacti?) in our new neighborhood. The cactus can freeze and die from the top. That’s why we use styrofoam cups to give them a little insulation. We moved here December 15 last year and I was spending countless trips to grocery and hardware stores unable to find anything styrofoam. Amazon to the rescue.

What type of displays do you see in your neighborhood? Do you think there are more or less displays than pre COVID days? Do you put up lights or decorations?