Glen Berrymans obituary was in the Star Tribune today. He died October 14 at age 85. He was an iconic accounting professor at the University of Minnesota. He saved my life.Here is my story. In the early 1980s I was a student in the Masters in Business Taxation program at the Carlson School. I had been released as an English/Humanities teacher from the Robbinsdale School District because of declining enrollment. I was devastated but decided to continue in a service profession and chose accounting. I had no business school classes and no business experience. The MBT program took a chance on me, and I was admitted with the understanding that not only would I take the graduate school classes but that I would also gain the equivalent of an undergraduate major in accounting at the same time. What was I thinking? Flashback to my sophomore year in college. I took up smoking. Worst decision of my life; I was quickly addicted. By the late 70s, I was smoking 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day. Then came the Carlson school. I had a number of fine instructors, none more demanding and kinder at the same time than Glen Berryman. I was in his Advanced Accounting class in the evening while I struggled with Intermediate Accounting in a day class. The concepts were often overwhelming. A fellow MBT students once remarked after class, Its Greek to me. I replied, If only it were Greek! I had been waiting years to say that about anything, having earlier earned a graduate degree in classical languages and literatures. The mid term approaches. I am having a super panic attack. I just dont get it. I know I will fail and disappoint everyone. I am feeling very sorry for myself. I sit in my study and stare at my notes and the mysteries of the textbook. I finally tell myself, in classic avoidance behavior mode, Well, Miss Ann, you might get an F on this test, but there must be SOMETHING you CAN do. I closed the textbook. First, I cleaned the house. I mean, I know how to clean. Then it came to me that I could quit smoking, right then at 10 PM at night. I had gathered all the ashtrays, always filled with butts, dumped them, washed them but now I put them on a high shelf in the kitchen. I take all the cigarettes I can find, crush them, throw them in the garbage. Then I actually go to sleep. The next morning I get up and do not smoke. I never smoked again—not even once. Glen Berryman, gratias ago. Requiescat in pacem. Oh, yes, I got a B on the exam.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 15:30:49 +0000
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