Due to personal upheavals in my life I have had a change of address three times in the last six months. This is a real pain in the ***, but at least I have had shelter and food.
I guess I would say that I still believe in miracles, or maybe coincidental events just keep occurring in the nick of time to instantiate my belief that I am receiving help from God. Thanks be to God.
I have hopefully found permanent residence back in the U-district, my beloved area of Seattle that I have missed so much for the last few years. (If you are family and would like my address please email me)
I have passed 2 of 3 interview/training appointments, and if all goes well tomorrow I will be fully employed with a phone based customer service job. Which is only 2 blocks from my house.
This walk through the valley of unemployed/seasonally employed darkness has taught me some hard lessons about bubble economies and why not to over extend your credit. So while not out of the valley, I have moved to the foothills.
I hope to attend Seattle Central Community College this fall, even if for just 1 class to start with toward an Associate in Elementary Education DTA/MRP with the hopes of making that actually a TESOL type employment. And I hope to fit some Mandarin language into that. Sounds like a lot of big dreams? I know, but in the words of Bruce Lee “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”
Why not computers? Something I have been crazy about for a long time? I always work at understanding networks and computers and programing, but never was able to discipline myself enough to be competitive in todays tough market, so that will remain a hobby. I love to read, I like other cultures, and languages, and I think the outlook for employment is better in a new direction for me.
I have found a Mandarin Language Meetup group that I hope to tap into more fully in the coming future. I have not met with anyone from that group yet, so the verdict is still out...
I would like to go back to the Chinese church at some point just to practice language skills, but I need to first get some rudimentary language skills so they don't think I am some crazy white guy that got lost. I will be attending mass at the Catholic Newman Center, let me know if you want to come sometime as well!
The book "Piracy" that I am reading is a tough but rewarding read, and it seems like it is taking me forever to get through it, so I am going to be spending more time out of the day unplugged in an effort to crunch this mounting stack of reading material that I have started.
My special thanks to all the people who were praying that I didn't become homeless as they watched me spiral into the pit and as my expensive toys evaporated one after another. While I am not out of trouble by a long shot yet, I feel like things are improving.
One thing I noticed is that out of embarrassment of my predicament I began isolating myself from the very people that could help me. So I understand a further dynamic of what it is like to really broke.
Having said that, I understand that being broke is relative, that compared to some people, I was never really broke at all. Which is why I started giving $20.00 a month to Save the Children. I am still giving help to some poor children in the Philippines as well, even through all this hardship. When I contemplate just how poor some people are, it puts life into a clearer perspective.
Update 6/12: Yeah! I got the job and I start Monday. Hurray....
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