That was the question posted to me this evening over dinner. It is not all that uncommon for somebody in my life to ask me what the next steps will be. But nothing makes me cringe more than this question. And tonight, it came from my dad.
I get it. He even told me tonight that parents just want to see their kids in a better place than where they are. My mom jumped in with "Well, I think when she has an announcement she will let us know."
I've been told that I need to settle. I've been told I need to go back to school. This just takes me back to the dreaded days at Sony when I realized that I have to make decisions for me, because I am the one who has to deal with them everyday.
I'm happy with my life and I've been blessed with circumstances that allow me to live the way I do currently. I know its not forever but I also don't know what's next. Do I know what I will be doing in five years? Well, does anybody really? I think I want to end up teaching but I'm not ready to go into a traditional classroom yet. I do want to go back to school and I don't think that "time is running out" because I'm sure as hell not getting married in an old-fashioned wedding anytime soon. I don't know what my path is. I hardly know what I am going to be doing tomorrow nonetheless in two years.
Over the break, Cody and I discussed the future and what I told her was "My life is unfocused. And two years ago that would have really freaked me out, but right now, I'm really okay with that uncertainty." My philosophy as of late has been to stay put until something better comes along or until I can no longer do the job I am doing now. I told her to do what she needs to do because realistically, what I will probably end up doing, I can really do anywhere.
It's not a matter of disappointment anymore. It's more a matter of sleeping easy at night. But, I don't have the answers. When they come, I'll let you know. Until then, accept what is and just be.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wait, you've been doing what for a year?
"Previously on 'Ruby's Life'..."
Camera pans across to Ruby sitting inconspicuously at her cubicle typing away. Next, we see Ruby and a young man sitting on the front steps and she says, "Well, I guess that means we are breaking up then." The scene changes to her leaving the office for the last time. This fades to her carrying her belongings into a summer camp and pulling her hair back to avoid the heat. As she unpacks her stuff, the following is said...
VO: Being a 22 year old female in this world is impossible. Your friends are getting married and settled for life. Your parents expect you to find a comfortable job and comfortable benefits. And you, you don't know what the hell to do with your life.
A quick series of camp images follow and then cuts to Ruby sitting in the office saying "I don't know what's I am going to do in September." Another girl, who is a regular and significant cast member, responds, "You should look into Outdoor Education. I think you would really like it." Ruby pulls up the website and clicks on the "APPLY NOW" link. This fades to Ruby playing with campers and then stepping away to listen to a voicemail. We hear "Hey, I'm calling you to offer you a position for the fall" and Ruby making a silent celebration. We hear...
VO: Opportunities seem to come knocking when you least expect it. So you take life as it comes and make the best decisions that you can in the moment.
Ruby drives by a sign reading "Outdoor Education" She is quickly introduced to the other staff members and we see another montage of her teaching, playing with her co-workers, and finally signing her contract for fall 2009.
I know, it's quite possibly the most boring television show of all time. Actually, I really have no aspirations of it becoming a television show. I just felt that this would be a somewhat more creative way of presenting the last year of my life (though some names have been changed to protect the innocent). It's true that I left the music business life to work outside. I work at an outdoor education program on Lookout Mountain in gorgeous Mentone, Alabama. What is in Mentone? Well there are some camps and churches and rhododendron. We have the Little River and all its associated waterfalls. My program is located at one of the camps on the mountain. We have a phenomenal location and an interesting collection of people who change from season to season.
The past two semesters I have been fortunate enough to work with an amazing staff. This group of people literally became my family for 7 months of the year. We have varying backgrounds and educations and interests but we all love the outdoors and we all love teaching. Students come to our program with their school for some amount of time between a day up to five days. We have our own housing so we don't sleep in the cabins with the kids and we hike, teach classes, and lead large group activities and simulations.
I work from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. four to five days a week and am exhausted most days when I return home. This program only runs during the school year (and selected months at that) and I have worked at my camp in Nashville during the summer.
I return to Alabama in three days and I am preparing myself for the old comforts of the job to be quite different this semester. We have four new staff members and I, along with my friend who got me into this job (this is semester number four for her!) will be living in a cabin instead of the staff house which is the homely homebase for our staff. The washer/dryer, refrigerator, and stove/oven and computers, will no longer be just outside my door. Rather, I will be hiking about 50 yards to get to the house with all those things. Instead, I will be living in a three bedroom, two bathroom, much more rustic cabin with my best friend (who I've essentially been living with for the last 15 months anyway...). I am eager to get down there to start rearranging and making the cabin ours while I'm also nervous to make the change. I might post photos of our humble abode via facebook or twitter later on.
It's long days but I'm pretty much living the dream. As I have conversations with visiting parents and teachers, they almost always tell me that they wish they had had the opportunity to be a part of such a program when they were my age. I know this job is not forever, but it is definitely for now.
I hope to find opportunities to update more often via this blog about my various adventures, but considering my schedule...I can make no promises. Twitter is generally the best bet because I can often find time to throw a quick 140 characters out there. But, before I sign off for the evening, I do want to share my goals for the season:
So with that, it's time for bed. Nite.
Camera pans across to Ruby sitting inconspicuously at her cubicle typing away. Next, we see Ruby and a young man sitting on the front steps and she says, "Well, I guess that means we are breaking up then." The scene changes to her leaving the office for the last time. This fades to her carrying her belongings into a summer camp and pulling her hair back to avoid the heat. As she unpacks her stuff, the following is said...
VO: Being a 22 year old female in this world is impossible. Your friends are getting married and settled for life. Your parents expect you to find a comfortable job and comfortable benefits. And you, you don't know what the hell to do with your life.
A quick series of camp images follow and then cuts to Ruby sitting in the office saying "I don't know what's I am going to do in September." Another girl, who is a regular and significant cast member, responds, "You should look into Outdoor Education. I think you would really like it." Ruby pulls up the website and clicks on the "APPLY NOW" link. This fades to Ruby playing with campers and then stepping away to listen to a voicemail. We hear "Hey, I'm calling you to offer you a position for the fall" and Ruby making a silent celebration. We hear...
VO: Opportunities seem to come knocking when you least expect it. So you take life as it comes and make the best decisions that you can in the moment.
Ruby drives by a sign reading "Outdoor Education" She is quickly introduced to the other staff members and we see another montage of her teaching, playing with her co-workers, and finally signing her contract for fall 2009.
I know, it's quite possibly the most boring television show of all time. Actually, I really have no aspirations of it becoming a television show. I just felt that this would be a somewhat more creative way of presenting the last year of my life (though some names have been changed to protect the innocent). It's true that I left the music business life to work outside. I work at an outdoor education program on Lookout Mountain in gorgeous Mentone, Alabama. What is in Mentone? Well there are some camps and churches and rhododendron. We have the Little River and all its associated waterfalls. My program is located at one of the camps on the mountain. We have a phenomenal location and an interesting collection of people who change from season to season.
The past two semesters I have been fortunate enough to work with an amazing staff. This group of people literally became my family for 7 months of the year. We have varying backgrounds and educations and interests but we all love the outdoors and we all love teaching. Students come to our program with their school for some amount of time between a day up to five days. We have our own housing so we don't sleep in the cabins with the kids and we hike, teach classes, and lead large group activities and simulations.
I work from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. four to five days a week and am exhausted most days when I return home. This program only runs during the school year (and selected months at that) and I have worked at my camp in Nashville during the summer.
I return to Alabama in three days and I am preparing myself for the old comforts of the job to be quite different this semester. We have four new staff members and I, along with my friend who got me into this job (this is semester number four for her!) will be living in a cabin instead of the staff house which is the homely homebase for our staff. The washer/dryer, refrigerator, and stove/oven and computers, will no longer be just outside my door. Rather, I will be hiking about 50 yards to get to the house with all those things. Instead, I will be living in a three bedroom, two bathroom, much more rustic cabin with my best friend (who I've essentially been living with for the last 15 months anyway...). I am eager to get down there to start rearranging and making the cabin ours while I'm also nervous to make the change. I might post photos of our humble abode via facebook or twitter later on.
It's long days but I'm pretty much living the dream. As I have conversations with visiting parents and teachers, they almost always tell me that they wish they had had the opportunity to be a part of such a program when they were my age. I know this job is not forever, but it is definitely for now.
I hope to find opportunities to update more often via this blog about my various adventures, but considering my schedule...I can make no promises. Twitter is generally the best bet because I can often find time to throw a quick 140 characters out there. But, before I sign off for the evening, I do want to share my goals for the season:
- do Michigan, effectively, several times.
- lead two groups to the falls.
- increase my repertoire of classes that I am comfortable and confident teaching.
- help organize and plan activities for the entire staff so we might become somewhat family-like.
- pursue opportunities for further education and knowledge.
- Choose my attitude.
So with that, it's time for bed. Nite.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Corporate Life.
It's officially been 3 months since I graduated from college and I am currently working at one of the prominent publishing companies in the music business doing data entry for a special project.
More than anything, working in the corporate environment in a cubical (which I swore I would never do) is making me want to own my own business.
That being said, I will be taking a hiatus from my career while I work at my beloved summer camp once again. But, if anybody asks, I will be doing "professional development" this summer as I will be in a managerial and supervisory role.
I think come September I am going to renew my interest in my blog and try to take it to the next level while doing whatever odd job comes along.
They weren't lying when they said this real world ain't all it's cracked up to be.
More than anything, working in the corporate environment in a cubical (which I swore I would never do) is making me want to own my own business.
That being said, I will be taking a hiatus from my career while I work at my beloved summer camp once again. But, if anybody asks, I will be doing "professional development" this summer as I will be in a managerial and supervisory role.
I think come September I am going to renew my interest in my blog and try to take it to the next level while doing whatever odd job comes along.
They weren't lying when they said this real world ain't all it's cracked up to be.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Internship number two is halfway over...
School has swallowed me whole this semester as I have been cranking through the requirements to graduate. My internship at a production music library company has been all in all successful and I have enjoyed both the people I am meeting and the work I am doing. I do lots and lots of paperwork each day and it is nice to look at a stack of paper and go "Yes, I accomplished something today." I guess that's why I want to go into administration. I can value my day's efficiency by how high the stack of paper is.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
only 3.5 days left of this one
I only have 3 days (and 2 hours) left of my internship at my internship.
Any suggestions on internships for the fall?
Any suggestions on internships for the fall?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Day...uh I lost count
Well life in the intern world is cranking on. It turns out that the exec. assistant is headed on vacation come the beginning of august so I will be the one doing all the phone answering and other business. It is kind of like my final exam.
Otherwise, my days are mostly pretty slow. A lot of sitting around and waiting for work to come my way. It's a delicate balance between looking busy and actually staying busy. But that's the life of an intern. Always available but never feeling bad because...well...I'm not paid at all. I've already begun the intern hunt for the fall. I've revised my resume and now all I have left to do is make those changes and print that baby out. Don't know when all that will be taken care of but slowly and surely I will get it done. Unfortunately, time is running out for me to secure a good internship so I should really hop to it.
Ah. Nothing really to say, just wanted to update.
Otherwise, my days are mostly pretty slow. A lot of sitting around and waiting for work to come my way. It's a delicate balance between looking busy and actually staying busy. But that's the life of an intern. Always available but never feeling bad because...well...I'm not paid at all. I've already begun the intern hunt for the fall. I've revised my resume and now all I have left to do is make those changes and print that baby out. Don't know when all that will be taken care of but slowly and surely I will get it done. Unfortunately, time is running out for me to secure a good internship so I should really hop to it.
Ah. Nothing really to say, just wanted to update.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Day 8: Whoops, I worked too fast.
It seems I have run out of work again. I managed to finally finish the sub-publishing song descriptions and now I am workless again. Yesterday I was able to sit and read Billboard which may be one my favorite hobbies. News from within the issue: Bonnaroo did ridiuculously well and the music biz is looking to go green one step at a time. New business idea perhaps? The greenest publishing company of them all?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
