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    Nov. 5 1998

    Warning the first half of this letter (up to the ***** ) is a life flashback and me venting. However I do respond with personal e-mail's to anyone who writes me back :-)

    "Life is like a bowl of cherries. Once you eat all of the fruit, life's the pits!!"
This is a little quote I made up in jr. high (I think) and I would like to add one more line to it.
"But if you don't eat any, life's rotten"
Eat too much you get a belly ach.
Too little and its no fun (your soul left alone with no inspiration rots)

    When I was in sixth grade my uncle sat me down and told me that when I went into jr. high school there would be more choices and I would have to choose my time wisely. I joined the biology club, the environmental club, was in the plays, worked with stage crew, dated, danced, participated in choir and pulled strait B's and C's in all my classes

    Then as I moved into the dreaded high school experience my uncle sat down with me again. "Now you didn't believe me (he said) When you went into jr. high but please believe me now. There will be more options more choices more things to sway you from school." and on top of this he set seven books on more effective study habits in my lap. (Their still sitting on the bottom shelf of my book room at home .... and the spines haven't been broken) In high school there were now 4 plays a year not two and an added two drama club plays. Stage crew became a full time occupation as well as choir. Then debate swayed my interests and conflicted with my ever increasing love for directing. I dropped all of my biology classes to make room for business clubs like DECA and FBLA. I participated in politics and delved into philosophy as I looked deeper into my religion. Then as summers came and past I became more and more involved with fighting discrimination. This appeared in my involvement with Any town, H.U.G.S. club and National Voices for an Inclusive 21'st century. Throughout I pulled C's and D's When I graduated ( luckily due to the friendship I made with my councilor... I had not full filled all of the graduation requirements) My uncle sat me down again and warned me......

    PAUL!!! you have to make choices, set goals, decide what is the most important. don't burn the candle at both ends. Well ladies and gentlemen if you've read this far you have probably been reading my other letters. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Radio, Debate, Choir, Stage Management, Stage Crew, Acting, Musicals, Dating, Friends both here and home (this is not one of the ones I ever wish to decrease my spending of time on however. I need you!), Opera, Politics,..................... not to mention.... Ohhh ya I have to do school too :-).

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    It's supposed to snow tonight and being up here on the side of the mountain I'm not very excited... lots of snow to walk back and forth to class in..... uphill both ways! well at least it will give me stories to tell my grand kids.

    Talking about that - Nate Meier and Jen Wilson had a baby Girl this last October. they named her Dakota Wolf Meier (now pronounced My eer instead of Mi ear) You can stop in and congratulate Nate he works every night except Thursday at the Kinkos on 7th and 33rd in salt lake 3pm to midnight!

    I did my first  magic show at the Ogden city children's museum. Its a lot of fun and a lot different then the mentalisum stuff I've been doing lately.

    Classes are fun.

    In opera were doing the opera Carmen, my director is the head Music Master for the Utah Opera Company... really professional.

    At the radio station I made some pretty controversial commercials that people have been complaining about and I get two or three 13/14 year old girls calling up and hitting on me whenever I do a show. Yuck!! jail bait :-), Well We are the #1 radio station in northern Utah for the 13 - 19 year old market!!

    For a while I was answering adds helping collage students and old ladies with their computers but it took to much time and didn't pay enough.

    For my midterm in debate we had to debate against another class member but I had a rehearsal conflict so I had to debate against the coach in front of the whole class and the class got to decide who won. However the coach let me choose the topic. I chose "this house believes that Affirmative Action should be abolished".
I took the negative saying that it needs to be reformed but not abolished.
I WON!!! unanimous 12 for me 0 for him WOOO HOOO!
....... sadly he dosen't want me to do oratory type events anymore, he would prefer if I would do strait debate. But I don't like it.
In my previous events I was allowed to be motivational and have fun. Now I have to logically rip someone else apart who is trying to do the same to me and prove why my ideas and points are better than his. Its hard on a person to do that, especially when you sometimes don't agree with what side your debating on.

    I've become more accustomed to my room and am seeing the area more and more to be my domain. I drink one to two cups of tea a day , though I haven't marked this as my territory yet. They might change my room :-) Lastly I would like to thank everyone who made the trip up to see my play on or near my birthday Michelle, Shahene, Steve, Heather, my family and all of the 1998 Anytowners Thank you!

******** Remember I write back personal e-mail's to anyone who writes me. ************
Zoogle Zaggle wack a groglleie zab zuck

Your friend,
Paul W. Draper