WHO AM I?

A Paper Presented to Mr. Bill Garber Andrews University. In Partial Fulfillment for Communication Skills, COMM104. by Keith G. Calkins November 12, 1976.

CHAPTER I

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND

LaFern and James Calkins on February 1, 1958 received their firth consecutive son, Keith Gordon Calkins. The memory of that day is only hearsay. My first recollection is looking for kittens in the haymow of our old barn. Fred, Milton, and Bruce, my older brother, and I pushed over the round bales of hay as we followed the cats to their hideouts. It was this same barn that caught fire one Sabbath in September of 1961. We boys divided the barn foundation into lots and with pulleys as tractors, hinges for drags,, and nails for hoes, we farmed the cement.

We frolicked in the long branches of the three old Sugar Maple trees that line the driveway. Sometimes it was spaceship we played. I managed to climb into the last-tree-down-the-driveway by five different branches. Getting down was another story--I had one hundred-five different excape routes.

Footraces down the driveway were our Olympic sport. There were tire races too (not always down the driveway), but more fun was using the tires as firetrucks and ropes (braided baler twine) as firehoses.

One time when we started to fly kites in the pickle patch, but on account of the weak breeze we climbed the big hill; Milton threatened to glue glass on his kitestring so that he could win in the kitefights.

Then Momma died. Dad, Florence, my little sister, and I survived on my cooking. Dad was chef for Sunday morning pancakes which he made as big as the pan. Three of those and you couldn't eat another one for a week.

Soon Dad started writing newspapers to a schoolteacher in the Junior High here at Andrews. She has changed my life quite a bit. In March of my eighth grade year, after finishing my mathematics textbook, I started algebra. I could not get credit for it so I took 5 highschool credits by correspondence in the next 12 months while being officially enrolled in the tenth grade in our ten grade school. She convinced me that it was possible.

One of my hobbies is family history. I got interested in it by asking about my grandparents and great-grandparents and so forth. So far I have found out that my ancestors were mainly of seven different nationalities. They are: English, Scotch, Irish, Welsh, French, German, and Swedish.

I have always enjoyed mathematics but more and more see it as a tool to the physical, natural, and computer sciences.

CHAPTER II

Everyone through the ages has had questions about the truths which have been presented to him. Descartes set out to explain the Universe with the words, "Cogito ergo sum. (I think, therefore I am)"1

When thinking about what life means to me I remember these quotes which I learned during my senior year (in high school).

Never think that you have learned enough, and that you may now relax your efforts. The cultivated mind is the measure of the man. Your education shoudl continue during your lifetime; every day you should be learning and putting to practical use the knowledge gained. (MH, 499.)

God has give us our intellectual and moral powers, but to a great extent every person is the architect of his own character. (T4, 656.)

The question that most concerns us is not, How much have I received? but, What am I doing with that which I have? (COL, 329.)

I very much enjoy learning. Learning can be a very fulfilling experience, especially in problem-solving areas such as mathematics, physics, computers, chemistry, and to some extent, biology. Each problem solved makes you all the more ready to tackle the next one. Intellectual and moral powers are gifts from God, but we (and early in life our parents) are responsible for development of our character. Our character is the only item we can take from this world to heaven. There our now puny intellects will surely increase exponentially.

We are not to worry about what gifts God hasn't given us, but should strive to do as God wills with what he has given us.

It is interesting that all that is recorded about Christ's early life is "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." (Luke 2:52.)

Then of primary importance is for us to increase our knowledge here on this earth, and live lives which are an example of Christ's life--increase "in favour with God and man."

1Ray C. Jurgensen, Alfred J. Donnelly, and Mary P. Dolciani, Modern Geometry (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965), p. 434.

Note: I have reason to believe that Chapter I was lifted almost verbatim from an autobiography written in 1972 for my grade 9 English taken by correspondance from American School. I suspect that the original was discarded after it became water-damaged in early 1979 while renting at 310A E. Washington from Paul and Evelyn Muffo. I am thus kind of glad it was recycled and thus preserved! (Even though I only got 77/100 on it this time.) The quotes used in Chapter II were among 30 Spirit of Prophecy quotes Elder Herbert Lohr had us memorize for Senior Bible at Cedar Lake Academy. I bought one of the $0.10 textbooks, cut them out, and taped them to 3"x5" cards. Class started at 7:58/8:13 due to the use of a 55 minute class period for a 40 minute class. I worked the 4-8am shift at Dakota Bake-N-Serv. I would quickly run back to the dorm, strip, shower, dress and arrive basically on time!