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Connor Thomas ENGL 10600-776 Brittany Biesiada 17 September 2013 Younger, but Older There I am, sitting in the back left corner of SRT (Student Resource Time) senior year of high school. I wasnt talking to my friends in the class. I wasnt skipping class to go play basketball in the gyms, a very common thing to do at my high school in Carmel, IN, but I was reading a book. What book? Not any common book an average 17-year-old would read, but reading wasnt common anyways for the high school 17-year-old varsity athlete I was. I was reading Killing Kennedy by the popular Fox News host of the OReilly Factor Bill OReilly. Why was a 17-year-old senior in high school reading a historical non-fiction book by a polarized figure like Bill OReilly? That was the question I often encountered from friends in high school. Maybe Im weird, maybe people are judging me for reading a book by Bill OReilly, and did this bother me? In fact, yes it did. Often, I became quite self-conscious of my right wing political views that often contradicted many others views. I also found it weird that me, the high school varsity athlete, was deeply invested in politics when I should be worrying about what girls I was supposed to be hanging out with this weekend. The silver lining I found with politics and watching cable news programs every night on CNN and FoxNews is that it got me into reading. One may be confused on just how I became an avid reader due to political cable news programs. Every so often inspiration can come from unlikely sources, and often it strikes you unexpectedly. I never had the clich moment in my childhood when I remembered reading my first book. It was likely a numbers book or some firehouse childrens book due to my admiration for

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firemen as a child. I remember, to this day, forging my parents signature for my elementary take -home reading assignments and filling out the reading logs, but, of course, not really reading. Mom, would you sign my sheet again? I cant stand reading, I requested repeatedly. Fine, Connor, but I really hope you can read someday, my mom would tell me. As you can tell, my mom was quite passive about forcing me to read and learning to read. It wasnt until after the 2010 midterm elections that the Republicans benefited from greatly, that I started reading for fun. When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, he was also elected with a democratic controlled House of Representatives and Senate. Meaning, whatever President Obama wanted enacted into law would likely pass both legislative houses, and, if constitutional, would become law. In 2010, the Republicans gained back control of the House of Representatives meaning, they could block legislation President Obama wanted passed and legislation in the interest of both parties would have to be passed. I noticed every night my father was watching these shows describing this situation and the election that I considered for old people. Slowly, though, I began sitting down with him watching these shows and describing a situation I could barely comprehend. Dad, what does any of this even have to do with us as a family? And nothing ever even happens in Washington that will significantly affect us, I feel like, anyway, I said as the politically-uninformed child I was. Son, if you knew the extent this President is going to effect all of our lives with this new healthcare bill, you would want to be informed, too, like myself, my father responded. I proceeded to say, But how would this even affect us? More importantly, me?

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Well, this has the potential to double our insurance premiums, and thats taking away money for your college education, therefore you may have to take out a loan for college and not expect us to pay your way through, my father stated with his serious tone. Oh, I paused for a while, not knowing what to say. Well, I guess its time for me to become a little more informed about something that could affect me as well, I concluded the short conversation, but an important conversation I would later never forget. I began watching all these shows on CNN and Fox News with my dad and became relatively interested in the politics behind the elections. Just weeks after being exposed to politics, it became my nicotine, it became addictive. Every night I would grab the grey DirecTV remote and press 360 to turn to FoxNews, or 202 for CNN. To further my knowledge on the subjects, I began reading websites when I would surf the internet to engulf myself with all the information I could read about all the current issues. I began to align myself with the republican ideals and following my fathers footsteps, became a republican. My father and I would sit down on our blue jean covered l shaped couch every night to watch cable news programs such as The OReilly Factor and sometimes MSNBC shows like Hardball with Chris Mathews just to hear opposing viewpoints. Caution! This is the No Spin Zone. Hi, Im Bill OReilly. I would hear these words with my father at 8:00pm when turning on The OReilly Factor most weeknights. Often I would feel drawn towards OReilly due to his firm stance on issues and constant persistence for a straight answer from his guests. OReilly doesnt allow people to come onto his program and allow answers that avoid the question. Combined with OReillys consistent charitable donations, this has built up a personal respect for OReilly that has made me enjoy watching his show most nights of the week.

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These moments were some of the most vivid memories I have with him and really helped bond us two together closer. You understand with this new Healthcare bill that states patients cant be turned away for pre-existing conditions that all the healthy people arent going to pay for health insurance until they need it, thus raising premiums due to the lack of money in the system, Dad? I lectured. Yes son, I understand, I notice you have been doing some research and listening to what I watch, my father responded. Often my father spent 15 hours a day at his company, so this was valued time we spent together. Being the son of a business owner, this also probably played a role into my republican ideals and led me to like OReilly even more. My father has had a massive influence on me becoming aware of political issues and I credit it him for the person I am today with respect to political awareness. If it were not for my father, I would probably still think politics are dumb and have an anarchist view on the world. I have always admired my father for the person he made himself to be from the conditions he were raised in. My father has two brothers and one sister, who all lived in a trailer park as children with their parents and needed to grow up fast. My father proceeded to put himself through a two-year technical school and now currently owns his own company. As a result of his success, he has put one child through college and a private high school and now is putting two more through college at this moment. Understanding that my father has become so successful with being raised in such poor conditions has naturally made me develop a respect and admiration for my father and the desire to be just like him. So I started listening to NPR and watching these shows at night with him, talking like him, and arguing the same points as him. I

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became my dad at a young age. As a result of wanting to spend more time with my father, a sparked interest in finance and business occurred, and has now led me down the path I currently am traveling through the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University. CNBC and Fox Business channels become a new favorite, along with books by Warren Buffet, other successful business owners and famous investors. Reading all these business and finance books has also played a huge role in my life because it finally allowed me to understand what I want to do in the future. After completing my Bachelor of Science in Management and Finance, I hope to see myself working in an investment firm managing private investments. Without my father sparking an interest for me into political issues, it is very likely that I would be the un-informed freshman in college that doesnt care about anything but himself that I, too, wouldve been. It is also highly likely I wouldnt be here at Purdue because I would be playing collegiate soccer at a small school with an undeclared major because I had no idea what I wanted to study prior to this experience. After sparking that interest, I ran with it and began reading all sorts of books that were either by television anchors I enjoyed or famous business owners and investors I believed had value in their words. Without my father, I would not be the person I am today, nor the reader I am today and for that, Im very appreciative of him. He paved the way for my desire to read more non-fiction books, thus, resulting in me gathering all sorts of new ideas and information from the most successful people this world has seen. Without the inspiration coming from so many unlikely sources, it is likely I wouldnt be the person I am today. Value every situation you come in contact with, because you may never know what situation it is you look back to, and recall as a life changing event.