I think college degrees are becoming increasingly meaningless, other than you have to have one to get a position with any fortune 500 or 1000 company. We are losing our electricians, plumbers, mechanics and wood-workers.

It’s not only that not everyone can afford college, that’s secondary in my mind. Not everyone should go to college. We are in need of more specialty skilled workers and not just those who can attend “who can drink the most beer” parties on the weekends and maintain a C average in some mediocre state school.

I predict that in the future, it will be the plumbers that make more money and will be in higher demand that people like me, with a college degree that meant nothing after my first job. Just my opinion.

Then she told me that her best friend in college, a boy, was dropping out to spend his life helping the poor and underpriviledged. I asked her how he could help them when he had just condemned himself to becoming one of them.

My youngest daughter, 15, is enamored of all the teen music sensations who come along and imagines herself one of them. I tell her, fine, you can become a poor musician and live in your car after you go to college and get your degree. I tell her that all the musicians she admires had parents who told them to go to college, just in case the whole music thing didn’t work out. It’s an uphill battle, but I plan on winning.

My kids will both have their undergrad degrees paid for by mom and dad. I tell them to enjoy their last years of freedom. Go to school, study, party, have fun, enjoy. It’s their last opportunity to sponge off mom and dad and it’s all work and responsibility after that. Even kids of relative priviledge don’t always get it.