User:Destinvil
Destinvil
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Hey, It's a-me, Destinvil
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Future Wikipedia Entry[edit]
Destinvil (born September 191983), is a former foreclosure legal assistant and current proponent of the classical school of existentialism. A broadly influential figure in American real estate law, his work has attracted both enthusiastic reviews and scathing denunciations. Currently residing in the Dorchester section of Boston, Massachusetts, he is planning his next phase of adult life.
He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA and Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, NJ.
1983-1992: Childhood[edit]
Destinvil was born on September 19, 1983 at Ocean Medical Center in Ocean Township, New Jersey, a small town in the Monmouth County region of the state bordering the Atlantic Ocean. He was the first son and only child of Marie Destinvil, and Wagner Destinvil. His father also had a child from an earlier marriage, a son who is considered Handel's half-brother.
The family surname was variously spelled Destinville, Destinvil, and Desminville in the historical record and was probably changed to "Destinvil" at a later date. For the origins of the surname there are two theories:
1. From French Destinville and similar, "one who is destined to live within the city". 2. From French Desminville, a populated town near the center of Haiti.
The origins of the his first name remains a source of consternation as its etomology is from the German Hans and means "God is gracious". The pronunciation is French though, as the H is silent and the 'a' forms a silent e sound. In interviews, Destinvil has quipped that he was originally going to be named Patrick. After hearing a piece from George Frederic Handel's Messiah during Advent though, his parents were moved to name him Messiah, but "after realizing how presumptious the choice would be, decided on Handel instead". By his closest family and relatives, Destinvil is known simply as "Del".
Destinvil grew up in a traditional, albeit small, family. As the son of first generation immigrants, he did not meet his paternal or maternal grandfathers until later in life. As a boy, his family moved twice within southern New Jersey from Neptune City to Asbury Park. At the age of six, his parents separated with his father moving to West Chester, Pennsylvania and his mother taking over custody. Whereupon his parents officially divorced in 1992, he and his mother moved to the township of Irvington, New Jersey in the northern section of the state. In his memoirs, Destinvil described this as a difficult period of adjustment in his life but also a critical juncture as it provided him with many opportunities for responsibilty and indepence unusual for children his age. He describes the joy he found in ironing, and cooking meals, and how this period had a strong influence upon his focused and independent temperment.
Destinvil is well known for his unassuming, quiet manner and command of language, but some regard him as arrogant and believe his clipped Mid-Atlantic American accent to be an affectation. Few know, however, that Destinvil came late to the English language, learning French and French Creole simultaneously in his household. As a young man, Destinvil was interested in both politics and debate, and theology. In his known journal entries, a young Destinvil continually pondered the meaning of life, and questioned in what form could God exist. In a 2002 interview, Destinvil elaborated on this by describing how when he read Life of Pi by author Yann Martel, he found an intellectual foundation for his philosophy. In the book, through the character of Piscine Patel, and also more abstractly, through the infinite mathematical concept of pi, the reader can relate to the discovery of God by the narrator. In the book, religion culminates thoughts of a living soul that carries on life after death.. Destinvil later said that the book changed his life. His mother believed in hard work and self-reliance and would counsel him to "never let anyone think you are not working your hardest". In high school, he participated in Lincoln-Douglas debate, a form of United States high school debate named after the Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858, and also wrote for the newspaper. Fittingly, in college he was a member of the Bishop Fenwick Debate Society and a staff writer for the school newspaper.
1993-2006: Education and Career[edit]
Destinvil attended Saint Benedict's Preparatory School from September 1997 until graduation in June of 2001. He excelled both academically and athletically; he wrestled, played soccer and tennis, and displayed particular talent in English classes. His first writing experience was writing for "The Benedict News" (the school's newspaper) in his junior year.
Destinvil later attended College of the Holy Cross, where he co-chaired the school's Black Student Union and received a B.A., Political Science. He also wrote heavily for the school newspaper, The Crusader where he penned various opinion articles on varied topics including politics, manhood, and the NCAA. By his own characterization, Destinvil was an average student.
Destinvil graduated from Holy Cross in 2005. That same year, he moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania where his lived with his father, step-mother and half-brother. It was in West Chester that Destinvil developed his appreciation for objectivism and existentialism and devoured books on the subject. Destinvil later said in reminiscence of this period, "I think there are major issues we will all need to resolve within ourselves; reconciling our place within the universe, understanding how minimal we are and dealing with how that means we should live in accordance with our fates. In general, right now, I'm coming to grips with the concept of modern work. I was half right in assuming that adult life involved mostly trudging around in the foot steps of what others had done before. However, I never realized how circular and tangential my life would become."
In 2005, Destinvil was recruited into the The Vanguard Group, American investment management company but served for less than a three months. Little has been published regarding Destinvil's work with Vanguard, but in a 2006 letter to himself, Destinvil wrote, "I wish I could say I am in Malvern training as a secret agent but instead I process mutual fund transactions. I find it particularly boring but hey, it is a good opportunity to develop a very detailed and obsessively-compulsive style of life."
Recent History[edit]
In early 2006, Destinvil began a period of legal work at Harmon Law Offices, P.C. in Watertown, Massachusetts. This position was the catalyst for his decision to move to Massachusetts, as he had sought to remain in the state following graduation but was unable to find concurrent employment. In his role as a real estate paralegal, he offered support to legal staff, mortgagors, and clients in the preparation of foreclosure proceedings and motions. While he found the position challenging in some ways, he has publicly stated that it was enjoyable as well, and that it also cemented his view of entering law school to pursue a law degree in the near future.
In December 2006, Massachusetts Department of Labor records show that he was terminated from his position. When questioned as to why, Destinvil has maintained his view that "there were misunderstandings in terms of personal perception that were unable to be overcome; I enjoyed my time immensely overall." As of January 2007, Destinvil is fulfilling a temporary assignment at Professional Staffing Group (PSG), in Boston, Massachusetts and will be proceeding into a full-time position at State Street as of February 2007.