The Talon staff sat down with Carlton Tharp, a member of Oklahoma Christian University’s maintenance team and friend to the student body, to discuss his time at Oklahoma Christian and his advice to students preparing to journey into adulthood.
What brought you to Oklahoma Christian?
“A job. At the time, I did need a job. I’m glad I made it. It doesn’t pay anything, but it pays a whole lot in things when I come into work—people.”
What are the responsibilities of your job?
“It varies. I could pick up a bag of trash, and next thing I’ll have to pick up a leaf blower. It doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’m still working. I mainly just do trash duties and make sure you don’t trip over the trash bags. It’s all right.”
How long have you been at Oklahoma Christian, and how have you seen it change since you’ve been here?
“I know I’ve been here over five years. There are so many friendly people here it’s pathetic. It’s definitely not the job, because I don’t get paid anything, but I get paid more in blessings. A whole lot more. There are some nice people here. If I’ve got happiness in me, everything else will just come along.”
What’s something interesting students should know about you?
“That’s a good one. To tell you the truth, absolutely nothing. I’m just a nice person. I’m not looking for anybody’s trouble. I’ll say hi to you, I’ll say bye to you. That’s it.”
What inspires you to get to know the students?
“Just the friendliness of them. You can tell when someone is actually friendly, and you can tell when someone just wants to pass you by. It’s the expression of the kids. Some of them, I know right off the bat if I smile, they’re going to say hello or smile. The staff too, people who know my name. It’s the niceties. That’s all it is.”
What do you like most about the school?
“You’ve given me a whole lot to think about there. It’s not a big, big school, and it’s easy to recognize people who are really nice. You can stay away from the ones who don’t want to be bothered and say hello to the ones who do. It’s a relaxing place. It’s laid back. People aren’t looking for trouble. I like the baseball and softball.”
What is your favorite part of your job?
“Being able to get up in the morning and make it to my job. That’s the best part. As long as I make it here, my day starts, because I know somebody is going to make me smile. I love teasing Ms. Lois.”
What’s your favorite song to listen to on your golf cart?
“I don’t have a favorite song, but I’ve got some favorite artists. I like easy listening music. I can’t do all that talking and hollering and stuff. I’ve been listening to a lot of blues.”
Do you have any advice for students?
“Yes, I do. The thing is, be true to yourself. Do things for you. If things are done for you and you satisfy yourself, the people you help will help you back two-fold. But to start out, you’ve got to start out for yourself. You’ve got to do stuff for yourself. Don’t be trying to keep up with the Joneses. And stay away from credit cards, but you’re going to have to have one. You’ve got to satisfy yourself first. If you satisfy yourself, you can take care of somebody else. It’ll come back two-fold.
I’ll tell you, I’m 100 years old, and I feel good. I don’t have a whole lot, but I’m not looking for it either. You’ve got to be true to yourself before you can be true to anybody else. Don’t try to put yourself above anybody, and don’t try to go out and get everything you can find. You’ve just got to take it a step at a time. Like when you’re born, you have to start off crawling, then walking. It’s the same thing. Being a grownup is not a joke. It is serious. Happiness is what you make it. This world is what you make it. You’ve just got to put yourself first. It’s nice, if you’re happy within yourself.”
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