Well this one is another over due post, but after getting a much appreciated wake up call from my girlfriend about the relative monotony of my life (well... she just said everything I did sounded a bit boring - the face on the right sums it up), I needed to wait for something a bit more exciting to happen instead of just posting a long long version of "same stuff different day". Finally something has come along.
Last we left off, I was in a pretty dire mindset about the whole police thing. I did, as it turns out, get a 'We regret to inform you' letter maybe 2 weeks ago, but by that point I had already been moving towards changing focus and getting a new game plan so to speak. The industries that are most prevalent in San Diego are generally medical based, but that didn't particularly suit my education nor did I have a strong desire to push my way in by force. A few of those close to me have recommended teaching, but all of my experiences tutoring academic subjects have made me a bit hesitant - not to mention all the times I've told people about my degree in English and got the condescending response of "Oh, so I bet you want to be a teacher right?" has gotten on my nerves too many times for me to give in so easily. Admittedly, it will always be an option I can consider, I just don't want to jump in now. So I decided to break down and really go back to the basics that you used to think about when you were a kid: what do you want to be when you grow up?
Tackling the issue reminded me of a story my father told me of when he was younger and how he pissed off his pops when explaining what he wanted to do with his life. Mind you, my grandfather went by the only somewhat affectionate name of Grumpy, so I'm sure that wasn't too hard to pull off, but still I find this one memorable. Grumpy decided to ask my adolescent dad what he wanted to do when he grew up, to which dad replied, "Well, I want to do something different every day." Grumpy was a pragmatic man, and insisted harshly, "You can't do something different every day. You have one job. That's it." Of course Dad, the special snowflake he was, just shrugged and said, "You asked me what I wanted to do. I don't want just one job." In response, Grumpy was infuriated by how little sense it made, and Dad received some harsh Punishment if I recall correctly. The relevance lies in the outcome however; in his own way, Dad got what he wanted. His trade may not be as lucrative as some folks jobs, it certainly isn't glorified (until someone needs him on the spot), but Dad's job does seem to change every day. I have seen him as an architect, an engineer, an artist, a tattooist, a mechanic, a carpenter, an artisan, a sparky, a plumber, a plain work hand, and a foreman. I've heard of him as a part time drug dealer, a teacher, an army recruit, a meteorologist, a squatter, a handy man, and a down right delinquent. I've worked with him long enough to see that even employing the identical skills day after day, he makes a point to apply them differently if at all possible. While this lifestyle may not align with many people's career goals, in a way Dad did get what he wanted - he didn't end up with just one job.
When I first heard that story, it made me chuckle, and I couldn't help but think of how like Dad it was to say something like that, even as a kid. As I grow older, however, I understand the sentiment. I feel with the infinite Opportunity there is with youth, there is almost a Fear of shutting off the doors to other paths you could take. It's a Fear of loss for something you've never had. So to take my next step, I figured, it must be about breaking down the Fear of losing that freedom to pursue something that is meaningful. Even in Dad's example, he has mastered crafts only too practical and still made time to dabble and Explore others in his spare time. My Mom is the same - 35 years as a nurse, filling entry to administrative roles, has not put her off passions from gardening and bread making to her pet birds, and now, still ever changing, Angry Birds. Why should I be afraid to commit to a career, then, when I can leave it to myself to Explore and improve in what other desires I may have?
So I went with my gut and went for an Opportunity that part of me has haphazardly dreamed about since youth - a chance to work in the video game industry. I applied for an entry level position with a very large company located locally in San Diego doing QA testing, and today I got a callback for an interview. Of course, its too soon to say whether I'll get it or not, but its given me an excitement that was different than other jobs I've applied to. Even though I'm certain I'd spend much of my time just running into walls in game and begging for glitches to happen, part of me almost feels like its a guilty pleasure that no one could possibly get paid for. That being said, I think its a prospect that also gives me a chance to add to something that I've found meaningful ever since I was a kid . It could provide me opportunities to be promoted and perhaps one day add creatively to the development of these projects. All in all, I'll be sure to bring my A-game on Friday, and let everyone know in my next installment the verdict on the position.
Aside from my new work prospects, I've been at the grind per usual. Shelf stocking has grown into a regular part of my life, photo trouble shooting more or less mindless rather than roller coaster of Panic, and I'm even starting to get a few more responsibilities here and there at the pharmacy. Though the clutter hasn't gotten much better.
I've nearly got a regular hang out with my coworkers, and with a girlfriend's guidance from 6000 miles away I've been making a point to spend part of my meager paycheck on making sure I'm getting out of the house and enjoying family time. Saria is getting bigger every day and is really starting to work her new found linguistic skills. Simon got a promotion and is both a brewer proper now and the resident Cask Master for small batch custom beers (I prefer his title of Mask Caster). And even my horribly nerdy card hobbies are even seeing improvement, as I took home a Gameday Champion play mat from my local gaming store last weekend after winning the entire event... even though many of the more skilled regulars were at a far larger tournament in LA.
Things keep on going and I'm trying to make the most of my time while staying sane. I'm sure it'll be a while yet before I can take a proper breather - a lot may be changing pretty soon.
