I’m one of those people who wants to know the How and Why of things. So, finding myself in my current state, I’ve pondered a great deal over the How and Why of it. I have worried my memories to find where I went off the rails. Where did I start making the decisions that have led me to this point in my life – starting over (yet again).
I have a few ideas about it.
When I went to college, I wanted to be a neurosurgeon. (I know, right? I’m a very long way from that.) But, I ran into the roadblock of chemistry. Let me let you in on a little secret in case you don’t already know: chemistry isn’t science. It’s math masquerading as science. I am, let’s say, math deficient; so, the dream I’d held since junior high school went down in flames. I was not strong enough to find a way around the roadblock and I began to drift.
I drifted into a general liberal arts degree. Now, let me interrupt myself for a minute and talk to any college students who may be reading: Make sure your advisor knows who you are and gives a damn about your future. My advisor did neither and told me – a clueless student – that a general liberal arts degree was marketable. He said that as long as you have a degree, employers don’t really care what it’s in. They just want to see that you are trainable and that you stuck out the college career to the end.
That advice could have fertilized a sizeable garden.
If your advisor unloads that crap on you, change advisors, then take a look at the want ads. Look for what employers are advertising for. Right now, they’re looking for accountants, human resource people, and computer programmers, among others. Find something that appeals to you and get a degree in an actual discipline. My degree with its emphases in history, English and philosophy make me an absolute terror in a trivia game; but, that’s about it. A business degree would have been much more useful. Even an English degree would have been better, at least I could have taught with that. Meanwhile, I’m your broke, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Phone-A-Friend….
…your broke, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Phone-A-Friend who is trying to reinvent herself yet again.
The Daily Doty 
Oh beautiful Jon Anne – my heart hurts when I know you are down. But, your courage and tenacity are an inspiration. Even though you may regret some past decisions, or harbor ill will toward people that you deem misled you (and rightfully so in many cases), the life path you have followed has made you the person you are today, and you are astonishing. Now I know that adoration and compassion are not acceptable currency for most of life’s demands. The feeling of fulfillment comes from within, no one can make you feel that way except yourself. I know that you are strong enough to conquer any challenge, you have proven it over and over. I have heard it said the “God never gives you more than you can handle”. Well, I guess God thinks you are a bad-ass. You have a network of friends that are willing to help, and I am at the front of the line. I am always just a phone call away.
As always, Chris, you bring a smile to my face! I now MUST have a t-shirt that says that God thinks I’m a bad-ass! 🙂
Thanks for your encouragement.