Great story. Reminds me of NCAA athletes leaving for the pros before they graduate.

I used to think that was wrong; that they should stay in school to get their degree instead of grabbing the big bucks. But as a parent now, if my kid were fortunate enough to be offered that kind of financial incentive, my advice would be this: take the offer, run with it, make the most of your gift, and most of all, be smart about your money. Don’t spend it; invest it with someone you can trust. When your playing days are over, which will be soon, you can always embark upon your second career, beginning with resuming your education.

While this young filmmaker may not be making NBA, NFL or MLB money, he’s doing what he loves, and undoubtedly getting better the more he does it. He could probably teach courses in film production at many colleges. I’d hope he would find it easy to get back in to a good school when the time comes.

But I do thinking he’s learning every day- perhaps not in the same way as in school, but invaluable lessons and experience nonetheless.

Your point is well-taken; not “fuddy-duddy” or elitist, but traditionalist. Tradition can be a wonderful thing. If given a choice, I might not have traded my experience at Syracuse U. for four years of making commercials and music videos, but each person’s situation is unique, and it’s unusual for this young man to have this kind of opportunity.

I wish Cutter all the luck in the world. As for the folks who left the derisive comments above, I’d like to know what they’ve done lately?

Also, I’m very sorry that some of the commenters sunk to so low a level in response to your legitimate opinion (which was an opinion, by the way, and not a personal attack). Obviously, they did not learn how to express themselves well. This is why blogs should be moderated — because those obnoxious commenters are not adding anything to the conversation but noise.

With that said… The writer failed to realize the many travels Cutter has been on since birth (literally). He has visit the sites they are teaching in colleges (took a squat in their bathrooms). So why would he need college when he paid attention the first time.

You have been found guilty of misleading and perverting the young. I decree that you be hung by your underdeveloped ***** in front of a crowd of your peers.

- Zorro

On another note,

Mr. Hibey

You have attributed every one of your quotations incorrectly. Your total ignorance of that which you profess to teach merits the death penalty.

Zorro

My relationship with Cutter has basically been a series of intelligence tests since the first time I met him. My first field test was to ascertain whether he could recognize a quotation from Aristotle. “I think therefore I am.” He could not.

Then I wanted to know if he could recognize Socrates. “Don’t go into a church if you want to breath clean air.” He could not.

After that I moved into Aquinas. “Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything.” Blind as Teiresias he seemed.

Finally I said, let’s give something more contemporary a chance with Derrida. I hooked him to my intelligence test mechanism and read: “How many things we held yesterday as articles of faith which today we tell as fables.”

The meter read none.

What pisses me off most about Cutter is that despite these findings, I can speak with him on every level of intelligence, whether it be technical, philosophical, financial, academic, theoretic, whatever, and he still gets it, often with an alacrity I have no interest in keeping pace with.

His choice was his. Nothing should be emulated or copied in art or life lest you become stagnant in your ways. Nor should paths be criticized.

Above the fold that same day in the washington post was an article about a lot of happy graduates. Below the fold lay Cutter and his article (that never mentioned me). Should we be condemning the Post for showing the dc area the options of success? Or should we hush hush the unbeaten path for fear of the prickly pines?

Good questions, I say, I say. So I googled it.

http://siys1.fortunecity.com/images/tina_stevo_simonized_sm_1.6.08.jpg

visit my blog at soigoogledit.blogspot.com

to think it’s limited to college is a disappointing mistake.