Thawing Time

The clock is dead. It sits, frozen in time at exactly 3:25, for about a week now. All it would take is for someone to wind it and it would once again begin the journey forward. This, in essence, is my life. I am in Limbo and I'm waiting for time to unfreeze once more.

Each person finds purpose in their own way and for me it's working. Since graduating high school, I have been working (with few exceptions) non-stop. Mind you, I don't define myself by the jobs I have, but being a hard worker is one definition of myself. Not only that, but the mundane routine provides me with a normalcy I do not experience if I'm not working. Yes, in case you are wondering, I would be one of those people who would keep working if I ever won the Lotto. It's who I am.

Since moving back in November, I have not had a steady job. I have worked, but they have been temporary jobs. Zero guarantee that I will have work from one day to the next. Which is where I am right now. I was laid off last month and, other than job hunting, I haven't been working. Searching for work doesn't exactly pay the bills and I've held off applying for unemployment because I have had a lot of interviews in a short amount of time. Which means I'm not only stressing about the lack of work, but lack of money, as well. 

However, it hasn't been all bad during this time. I have begun to post articles on LinkedIn. I have become close to a certain female barista who makes me smile, despite it all. I was able to attend the final walkthrough of my high school. I reconnected with friends who I haven't seen in a long time. Et cetera and such.

The latest bit of possible success was that, in a fit of insomnia and desperation, I posted my resume on Craigslist. It was already on LinkedIn, Monster, Careerbuilder, and Indeed, so I decided to give it a shot. In the 48 hours since then I have had two interviews and two job offers. This was not only a Godsend as far as careers go, but a massive weight off my mind. All I need now is for the job offers to be legitimate and not a scam (which is what Craigslist has a habit of being clogged with).

So, if you are in the same boat as me, I offer you this: Perseverence pays off and expect the unexpected when it comes to landing your next career. Your job is waiting for you. Make sure your eyes are open so you can see it.

So Long and Thanks For the Memories

So, this will, in part, be a photo post. I bit of sad news: The high school I went to is going to be torn down July 1st. There was a final walkthrough last weekend with a very nice turnout. I was fortunate enough to attend and snapped away. I knew there were going to be friends (and family) of mine who would not be able to attend. I did a thorough job of documenting it; and I have been told by those who also attended that it made a solid impact. 

In a way, it was like stepping into a time machine. As I wandered the halls, memories came flooding back almost instantaneously. I wandered the halls with those who I went to school and visited what few classrooms that were open for the public. Thankfully the library and the theater were open, which is where I spent the majority of my high school career. And, even though I graduated in 2000, the school smelled exactly how I remembered it. In fact, if it wasn't for the brand new high school where the tennis courts, baseball diamond, and the parking lot used to be; it would have been completely as it was when I attended.

So, without further ado, the final photos of Auburn High:

There's quite a few more photos, but posting from my phone takes forever. 

Where do we go from here?

A couple weeks back I was in church and the title of the sermon was "Where Do We Go From Here?" It was all about the state of the church over the past year, how the millenial generation is one of the loneliness, and the digital age that we live in. It touched on a lot of important things, but the one I'm posting about is simply the title: Where Do We Go From Here? I find myself at another set of crossroads and concerns and this question is at the forefront of my mind.

I was laid off two weeks ago, exactly. It didn't come as a shock to me at all, because A) It was only temporary to begin with and B) They had been steadily running out of work for me and sending me home early. I saw it coming before it happened. Needless to say, I hit the ground running for the job hunt. Last week alone I must have submitted around 30-40 job applications. This week it has already been an additional ten. I know it's only a matter of time before I get hired on to something permanent and it being something very good. Yet, the lack of requests for interviews is concern number one.

Money, and the lack thereof, is concern number two. Cost of living is crazy high and with the reduced hours (and now the complete lack of them), money is exceedingly tight. I've begun looking on Craigslist for proofreading gigs, but so far no such luck. I've considered getting on unemployment, but I have a feeling I will run out of money far before that would kick in.

The third concern is female related. There's been a certain girl who I have been courting and things have been going smooth. She left for a trip last week to Europe and I have been getting messages from her at least once a day. Until a few days ago when they suddenly stopped coming. This, above all else, is my primary worry. I'm trying to tell myself that she's probably just caught up in it all and busy; or her phone disappeared, but I can't shake the nagging worry and doubt that something may have happened to her. 

Right now I have entered a period in my life where everything is entirely uncertain. The future is nothing like what I thought it would be even a month ago. Yet, not all of the changes have been bad. This thing with my lady friend came out of nowhere and things have been moving quite fantastically. Also, a major development is that I was invited to start posting articles on LinkedIn, which I have begun doing so. This is a massive shot in the arm not only for my career, but for my writing, as well.

I know that I'm just going through another one of life's transitional phases. The metaphorical rollar coaster ride has hit some curves and I just have to hold on and make the most of it. Oddly enough, despite all the uncertainty that I am facing, I have little doubt that I will prevail and excel. I've got this. Now all I have to do is hang on until things smooth out.