Milestone

This marks my 300th post. Yup. 300 in a little less than 3 years. If my remedial math serves me right, I think that works out to roughly 100 posts a year. Now, if you take out the stuff that I accidently repeated, it is more like 225. If you remove the NFL predictions, it comes closer to 115. Then you take out the stuff that doesn't matter anymore, we are down to about 78. Then eliminate the political rants that go on too long and still aren't completely explained, there are roughly 47. Take a look at all the few sentence waste of time posts and pretend those don't exist and we are down to 17 Then finally take out the posts that are really intended for one or two people with a hidden message and are really time wasted on everyone else I have only really posted 8 posts.
None-The-Less, I like to try to do something special for these Milestone Posts. This one will be a small reflection on what has occurred with me recently (Within the last two years.)
My current schedule is a weird one. I'm essentially on Hawaii time because I usually work from 4pm to midnight or 1am and then go to sleep at about 3-4am. I get up around 9-10am. I get ready for the day, check e-mail and stuff like that. I prepare brunch (Usually left-overs or something) while watching the WGN news at noon. This is my morning news. I then do some stuff around the house while watching Comedy Central's re-airing of the previous night's Daily Show and Colbert Report. Right after is a full hour of Scrubs re-runs. I wasn't much a fan of the program when it was on the air, but in re-runs, it makes for great background while I get stuff done. Plus, once in a while it dispenses some interesting information.
In the past month, one of the characters by the name of Bob Kelso said "Nothing worth having in this world comes easy." Wow. Read that again. For a silly sitcom, that is a pretty neet statement. I don't kid myself by pretending that they came up with that, but it is still a great bit of advice. Two years ago, I lost my job, I lost my license, (I got three moving violations in one year. Long story short - I have a VERY heavy left foot... well I used to!) and I lost my girlfriend. Things did not look that good for me. I didn't have anything. For example, when you first meet someone the first question you ask them is "What's your name?" The second is "What do you do?" Those days, I didn't do much. I spent all night on the computer applying for jobs and all day walking throughout the neighborhood looking for work.
It was rough. I was reading a book around the time written by musician Steven Curtis Chapman where he talked about "Hurricane Of Grace." Essentially what that means is sometimes God has to tear down everything around you so you can build up bigger and better than before. I hoped and prayed that this was the case for me.
But, I persevered. "Nothing worth having in this world comes easy." I got my old job with the mobile DJ company back again. After a month or so of looking, I got a job at a national chain restaurant in the area. And a few short months after everything fell, my license was re-instated. Things were on an upswing. I had income. I was able to make enough to survive. But, soon I became restless and decided that I should be making more than enough to survive.
I just didn't know how. I had plateaued at the restaurant and had my wedding DJing on the side. But, it wasn't enough. I searched out other opportunities much like I had when I found the restaurant job, but this time was different. I shot higher.
Roughly a year ago I applied at several colleges to teach radio. Every college I applied to let me know that they weren't looking for anyone at the time. All except one. They decided to give a guy with a nearly fake college degree (Come on. It's a degree in Radio. My friend Luke who graduated with me likes to tell people that we majored in an appliance.) and no real teaching experience a college course.
I went from not working at all to not having a free moment because I was working three jobs. Well, I did eventually have Sundays off for football and The Lord. Soon I was able to manage my time well enough that I am working less, but making the same amount and in some cases, more. Now I'm on my own with a new place and a new car and enough spare time to take a Second City course for fun. But, this did not come easy. It took a great deal of determination. The route to here was exhausting, stressful and very difficult. And, of course I'm not done by any means. I'm still looking to constantly make things better. Once one becomes content and/or stagnent, regression comes very easy.
I plan on getting a better 9-5 job than a restaurant. This will fit perfectly with my teaching if I can get it in the city. I teach at night, so I can stop in the college on my way home. I also am happily single, but wouldn't mind spending some time with someone special. However, I'm content with the way things are right now.
Hey, that pretty much sums it up. I'm content, yet looking forward. I like where I am and look forward to where I'll be. It is a very good feeling.
I feel like I'm bragging, but I don't mean to be. Essentially, it has been a rough two years, but it has been worth it. My "Hurricane of Grace" has allowed me to move back up to Chicago, get a job that I really enjoy at the college, be closer to my family and friends in the Chicagoland area and meet about 15-20 new people at Second City that are awesome. It has also permitted me to really appreciate that "Nothing in this world worth having comes easy."