Conversations with me, myself and thankfully, you.
It’s been long enough since I last wrote that trying to put together anything remotely logical makes me feel like the over-served regular at the local dive bar, lurking in the corner, leering through the neons and grasping at disconnected thoughts to put together a sputtering story of life’s struggles. I haven’t been writing because for the past few months I have been working on a “career transition” (read: professionally unemployed) from wine to tree hugging. It has not been as easy or as simple as I expected and my mind, ambitions and ideas have meandered in countless directions. That Kid President expressed how I’ve felt over the past six months much more simply and eloquently than I ever could…“A poem: Two roads diverged in the woods and I took the road less traveled and…IT HURT MAN! Really bad! NOT COOL, ROBERT FROST!”
This “transition” has been one of the most frustrating, humbling, inspiring, and incredible experiences of my life. Every day is a roller coaster, scouring job postings, writing cover letters, tweaking my resume, bullshitting, drinking far too much coffee, fighting the urge to smash my head into anything, more bullshit, self glorification, self hatred, absurd idealism, crushing cynicism, constant rejection, hope and excitement and this is usually all before lunch. Yes, it’s frustrating, and on and on the woe could go, but there is a very simple reality: I am healthy, happy and fortunate to be surrounded by incredible people.
I have been graced with an eclectic group of old friends, new friends, and complete strangers that have gone out of their way to house me, feed me, offer advice, make connections, commiserate, and scheme. They have been gracious hosts, drinking companions, insightful guides and empathizers. More than the hikes, skiing, meandering, boozing or exploring, my conversations with these just flat out good humans have kept me sane, balanced, motivated and energized. From conversations with them, I’ve realized that everyone has questions about what exactly they want to do with their life, how they can go about living a life that reflects their beliefs and values, and at the same time how to pursue a career that has meaning. Everyone handles the pursuit of these questions differently and if we can talk to each other, share our experiences, we can learn far more about this whole life thing together than we ever could on our own. Beyond differences in opinions, lifestyle, or career goals, we are all in this together, and that solidarity is a beautiful thing. It sustains us. It can push us to work harder, and to think deeper. If we embrace it, it will help us achieve more.
