Birthday Expectations

We all like to have some sort of expectations when our birthdays come year after year. Maybe something spectacular will happen, meet a life changing person, get something great, or just have a nice day. Well I experienced somethings that were ok and then some that made me realize just what kind of position I was currently in. it made me happy that my whole family called to speak with me and that I am able to have such great roommates to take me out and celebrate the event of me turning over another year. It made me upset just how many individuals I thought were good friends took for granted the passing of the next year. Not everyone makes the A-Team. However, I was happy with the individuals who took the extra effort in calling to chat. This does not take up much time and it strengthens the friendship. Not everyone makes the A-Team. 

Good news today - I have gotten a room in someone's apartment for the month of October, giving me some more time here in Chicago to figure something out. Granted the room is smaller than my parents closet at home, but then again aren't most of the homes in New Guinea? This will give me some time to think, gather, and plan my next move. Living off of caddying money and whatever other sidejob I decide to accrue at that point. Gotta love staying afloat whilst bobbing with the buoys gasping for air on the upward bob. Greatest thing about this is that I am able to read most of the day, sharpening my mind for future endeavors. 

Sharpening, SHarPening, sharpENING. 

Rained Out

Just finishing the book by Michael Gates Gill, "How Starbucks Saved My Life," I have come to a few realizations of my own. The book talks about how one man goes from being in the upper-middle class of riches and privledge to being fired from his advertising executive job and ten years later working at Starbucks as a barista. His work started there in his late sixties, making it difficult to teach old dogs new tricks, especially entry-level bathroom cleaning. The story is very inspirational about how one should never sit so high that the little things in life are taken for granted and people are just shadows to the passerby. 

As I currently find myself still searching for what I think of as my "dream job," this story brings lots of things into perspective. I thought that I could come down to Chicago and find what I was looking for much faster than anyone else had done so from the little village of Fenton. Guess what? Not true. Experiences so far have been all growth and learning toward what the real world is really like and if one doesn't make that impression, one finds him/herself in the shadows of resumes and cover letters. If one finds something that truly could be a great opportunity, research the hell out of it, and if it turns out to be a great thing - Go For It with all you've got. 

Recently, I took a position at a local country club in Northbrook called Sunset Ridge caddying. Previous experience caddying has been playing golf my whole life, belonging to a country club growing up, and caddying for my little brother in a few tournaments. This has been a very humbling experience, running around raking sand traps, getting clubs, replacing divots, cleaning clubs, and reading puts for people I would normally be playing golf with. Thinking back to the days when my father would ask me to play golf with him on a summer Saturday morning and my oversleeping from being drunk the night before, didn't make the tee time. What the fuck? Didn't think twice about it back then, what did I really gain from being drunk with my friends the night before? Why did I place hanging out and drinking as a top priority when my father wanted to enjoy my company? Granted this was after sophomore year of college, still no excuse will suffice. 

When I almost got hit in the face with a golf club yesterday after an angry player hit his second ball in the water, things were brought into perspective. Go drink with your friends and have a good time but always be up in the morning to enjoy other's company, especially that of your father. Take the job of being a servant to others so that you can truly appreciate what it's like to be on the other side of bar. Never take little things for granted and don't forget to stop and smell the roses, for those precious moments we will never get back. 

Be humbled, humbled, HUMbled. 

Coffee at 6pm

Yes the title reads exactly what time it is and what I am doing at this time as well. Why have an espresso shot at 6pm? The question really is why not? If you enjoy something, that thing should be at your disposal whenever you wish. Hell, if you feel like having a shot of tequila at 6am who should tell you that's not a good idea? Do what you want within reason. Obviously there are things that go against social norms, such as exposing yourself in public or getting absolutely blasted before work. Everything use, do at your own discretion. I take no responsibility for your actions or giving permission to take the much wanted 6am tequila shot. 

Downloaded a fantastic new podcast yesterday that I have listened to over 5 times since then. It's a new podcast by MDB called the Chillcast, I highly recommend it. MDB specializes in making diverse podcasts every few weeks that have recently ranged from 80's rock to hip-hop to dance beats to the most recent Chillcast. The newest one in particular is so good because it encompasses so many different types of "chill" music, from Lupe Fiasco to an Enya remix. All of the tracks on this podcast flow perfectly into one another and were all excellent choices. Initially I found this podcast by doing a search of Nickleback, trying to find out if they had or were heavily used in any podcasts and if there were set podcasts with music like theirs out there. Yeah yeah, you may be thinking that Nickleback is "the ultimate party killer" and I might agree with you on occasion. However, the band has talent and I enjoy their music. Going back to my original point, that is how I found MDB, being that they were a podcast who played Nickleback. 

I went to Depaul Law School today for a tour and information system on how they do things at a tier 2 law school and to check out the campus. Not much of a campus, partly due to the downtown Chicago location. Had they kept the law school concurrent with the rest of their facilities in Lincoln Park, it would be quite a bit larger. The assistant dean of admissions did the information session, which consisted of him talking about how much he loves Depaul and how Depaul is just as good, if not better than other schools ranked in the latter half of the top 50. The tour was given by a law student who is originally from Mississippi  and is studying Intellectual Property Law, specifically Art. Interesting girl who had a nice perspective on law. She admits that working non-profit pays nothing monetary wise but she loves the feeling of being a "good lawyer" at the end of the day. Helping people is her passion in life. I empathize with her, I constantly find myself in this same position. 

The question is - do you want to go to bed at night making a lot of money and barely impacting anyone's life or making ok money impacting people's lives? 

Answering this question determines how you do things and what motivates you. 

Think think think...

Stormed In

This morning I witnessed my first infestation of cockroaches. In fact it was the first in-person sighting of a cockroach I had ever seen in my entire life. This was shortly followed by a few of the bug's friends, who ran under our dishwasher upon sighting a giant like myself. The first one is still in the kitchen under a cup, where I trapped him until I can think of something cool to do with him. My roommate Aaron was dared to eat him, this is still in question and I truly think he might just do it. Might take a few more minutes of convincing him of how good an idea it actually is. 

Waking up this morning I felt severe thoughts of negativity toward the day and what was to become of my moves within the next years to come. Might have been due to the weather being so crummy outside, being 66 pouring rain. These feelings are complete nonsense, one should never shy away from being positive at all times yet I found myself in a funk most of the day today. Looking over the LSAT prep book wasn't much help either, shit is hard to study being unenthusiastic. Point is that positive actions/thoughts/words lead to greatness/likability/success. Etc etc etc.

Think positive positive positive. 

A friend once told me - "what you think you are, you are." This man has no idea the impact of uttering those simple words. 

Footsteps

Footsteps footsteps footsteps. In childhood we always find ourselves admiring a certain individual and try to follow in their footsteps. When I was a kid I was so busy harassing other kids, learning the ways of the woods, hunting and gathering, playing all sorts of sports, and doing other activities that involved being outside. This made it hard to find another role model beside Davy Crocket - King of The Old Frontier. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I thought the world of the man in the coon-skin hat. Currently there is a toss-up between Forrest Gump and T. Boone Pickens. One of whom can't be followed and the other I haven't the faintest idea why he has recently emerged to help with the energy crisis at such a later time in life after amassing a fortune in oil. 

My aspirations since finding out what investment banking analysts do, what their lifestyle is, perks are, job consists of, and job prospects later become, have been to be one. This would be following in my older brother's footsteps. In talking to people, after breaking away the initial bullshit posh, none of these people really enjoy what they are doing in the first place they are just using it as a segway into other things. We are all guilty of doing something of the like in our lifetimes, whether that involves people, jobs, cliques, or other social circles, to just move on up the ladder. However, I have no desire to sit crunching crunching crunching numbers just to find out where the missing penny is among the financial documents. Personally I could give a fuck less where it is. Granted I do give bean counters and other financial professionals credit for being able to do such a thing but I want no part of it. 

Took a fishing trip over the weekend with a couple of good friends up to Manistee, home of the Big and Little Manistee Rivers. The trip was most exciting in that it was the first time I was able to officially use my fly rod and try a go at 20 lb. salmon. Latching onto a fish of that size is exhilarating to say the least, even though I didn't land one the experience will carry over to the next go around. This trip was also the first time I have spent in a tent away from civilization for more than a night. I have spent stints in Montana whilst elk hunting away from civilization but bot in a tent nor without a bathroom. I was a bit skeptical going into it, went with the flow learning from the seasoned campers and had a great weekend. 

As for the hunt that has ensued over the last two months, I find myself at a stalemate that should have occurred a year ago this time. Switching back and forth from do I enter the inevitable work world now or pursue higher education? My thoughts and wants later in life lead me to pursue higher education. I will be moving from the great city of Chicago next week onward to tackle the admissions tests we all dread. These tests essentially determine the rest of our lives, professionally and personally. One has to become somewhat of a hermit in order to do extremely well. That is what must be done.

Peace peace peace piece