My Bio Profile & Resume (by J.D. Cumberland)

High School:

            I am a Native American who attended Southeast High School in Meridian, Mississippi during the latent post racially charged era of the Deep South. For me, this was not an easy place to grow up. I was not light enough to fit in with the Caucasian kids or dark enough to fit in with the Black kids. So in between being bullied I spent my time studying and minding my own business. But in the ninth grade, I dropped out after a fight that resulted in my collar bone being broken in two places. Even though I was only defending myself, I was expelled.

Jr. College:

Rather that accept my situation as a defeat, I took a GED course and challenged and passed the SAT. I was an entire two years into Jr. College before my class graduated High School. I struggled in college, but not from my course load. Simply getting to the college 10 miles across town was a daily battle. I was a product of a broken home and lived with my single mother who, in all honesty, probably should have given birth to kittens rather than a son. She cherishes her cats but has never had much regard for me. I had to give her the remainder of my scholarship and grant money after tuition and books just to have a ride to college and a roof over my head. But I never once considered myself a victim. The way I saw it, this was what anyone in the world could expect from society. The fact that it was my own mother taking advantage of me was irrelevant. My scholarship and grant money ran out and that was the end of my ride to college. I walked it daily for the duration of that last semester. I still had to complete College Algebra to get an Associates Degree.

Air Force:

Taking an accounting of my situation, I decided to enlist into the military. I was only 17 and fudged my application somewhat. I think considering my college background and score on the enlistment exam the recruiter may have also overlooked my age. I celebrated my 18^th birthday up to my ears in mud crawling, climbing and swinging through an obstacle course in the pouring rain in Lackland AFTS in San Antonio, Texas.

I trained in aircraft maintenance believing the nation would always have aircraft built by the lowest bidder in need of repair. I had intended to go full military, however as a result of my only having a GED and not yet a college graduate, I had to settle for the Air National Guard. I know, feel free to call the Air Force and have them explain that to you. I could never get any valid answers either. So after my tech school training at Sheppard AFB I was literally escorted to a plane back to Mississippi. Yes, after several failed attempts to get enlisted into full military, I intentionally missed my flight back to Mississippi. Captain Dorman anointed me the dumbest individual he had ever met and asked just what it was I thought I had hoped to accomplish? I replied, “If Mississippi is where America needs me the most, then it doesn’t need me at all. I was going to Canada.”

Emergency Medical Technician:

            I used what little money I had saved from my time in basic and tech school wisely. Upon stepping off the plane I bought a newspaper. I searched the classifieds for the cheapest vehicle listed. It was a 1985 Honda Interceptor. I called the number and asked the guy to bring it to the air port. I paid $1200 cash and drove it straight to the college where I enrolled into the Emergency Medical Technician Certification Course. After gas and a happy meal, I had $13.00 dollars for my mom when I got home.

Emergystat Ambulance:

After successfully completing the National Registry, I worked three years as an EMT at Emergystat Ambulance Service in Dekalb, Mississippi. Some of you may recognize this area if you had read the book, Bloody Kemper. It hasn’t changed much. I typically responded to stabbings, shootings and various drug and domestic related incidents. Our judge was even shot along with her new fiancé by her ex husband. After being gunned down by the local police, he died in front of me in my ambulance as we transported him. Before he died he took my arm and asked, “Did I kill the bitch?” I assured him that he did.

            The last year at Emergystat was tumultuous. We lost our bid to service the county by a new Ambulance Service that was then removed for questionable practices. American Medical Response then took over our office. They ran into legal issues and had to cut back and lay off employees. After being shuffled from service to service and out-of-pocket expenses, I am still owed a total of $6000.00 in pay and damages by American Medical Response. Clayton Cobler who operates Metro Ambulance refused to hire any of the medics that worked for these companies while they blew through town. It did not matter if they lived in the county and had no option but unemployment during that time. I felt jilted by the profession and total lack of professionalism exhibited by all parties involved. I took an accounting of my situation again and decided to make a career change.

University of West Alabama:

            I enrolled in the five semester Bachelor’s Degree Nursing Program at the University of West Alabama. I also took elective courses in Journalism and Literature and fell in love with writing. Although I quickly learned the Nursing Program at UWA had little to teach me other than how to become Mrs. Doctor Someone, I did enjoy my study toward Journalism and Literature.

Mississippi State Mental Hospital:

            This was my harshest experience in my entire career in healthcare. The benefits were awful, the conditions were atrocious and the staff was constantly at risk for suit or infection. After the facility brought in undiagnosed tuberculosis patients and failed to tell the staff, many of us were exposed. The facility simply laid us off following a physical and never told us we were infected with TB. Fellow co-workers finally got the word around to us months later. Many were exposed including myself, and a few of us died. I had to undergo six months of treatment which caused my hair to fall out in spots and never grow back. We could not sue the facility as a result of the fine print in the contract we signed upon getting hired.

Felony Record:

During this time I was suffering through a fail marriage and the death of a child. Perhaps I had just reached an impasse after twenty three years of hardship. I took to drinking and kept on drinking until my wife was gone, my career was gone, my scholarship was gone and I achieved a felony DUI. Looking back, I don’t see this as a total loss. UWA was squandering my scholarship, my wife and mother was squandering my bank account and my career as a Nurse’s Aide was nonexistent anyway. Aside from the felony drinking was the best thing that ever happened to me. For you M.A.D advocates, it is important to note here that, back then, the legal intoxication limit was .07 and I’ve never been over .08 in my life. I was never a stone drunk. By today’s standards I would never have been arrested. And according to the statistics, every man, woman and child living in Meridian, Mississippi will have at least one DUI by the year 2030.

Current:

            I decided to earn a living as a freelance writer/journalist for several online article submission sites. Of course the pay is awful, there are constant scam sites to be wary of, but it has paid my bills for nearly seven years now. My writing may be somewhat harsh at times. This may be a result of my experiences. Sure, I could go back and complete that College Algebra class to gain my Associates Degree. But there are forty plus year olds with Masters Degrees who have been searching for work for a year or more in this economy. America is the only place I know that uses the term overqualified and has the nerve to deny your application based upon that with a straight face. My over qualification or my felony, I don’t know which has hindered me the most in this job market.

Near Future:

            Ironically, in spite of all the pitfalls, I have actually come out ahead both financially and in personal satisfaction by seeing you as a society for what you are and calling you on it. The numbers do not lie and I sleep like a baby most nights knowing that, according to my research, everything you stand for will soon be ashes and I’ll be alive to watch it. I must admit, I do gain some dark satisfaction knowing barely anyone has read my book series, Idolatry, detailing how you can survive your pending failure as a society. As a nation, you are barely 300 years old and well beyond the state of crisis the Roman Empire was in during its final decade. Yet you still keep toddling along don’t you? It’s quite adorable. At least I can say I tried to warn you and wash my hands.

So my Bio/Profile/Resume is less an opportunity for you to get to know me as it is an opportunity for me to be wrong about you. Did I mention I am Native Indian? Although well educated and perhaps overqualified for a return to the age before your arrival, I remain only moderately a savage. Myself, and many other Native Indians like me, are looking forward to meeting you on the other side. Be sure to wear your best suit!