The Road to my Education...

My educational path...

I attended community college after high school, but it didn't amount to much. I was a Music major who was active in the theater. It was fun and I learned a lot of useless information. But it fizzled-out; I had no focus, no educational goal, I was just winging it. .. and eventually I lost interest and dropped out.

No matter how crazy my 20's were, I was always employed. I was a loyal employee - I worked for Kinko's for 5 years and then at AT&T (turned Cingular turned Alltel) for another 5 years. During that time college was never a consideration. I was making a decent living, actively pursuing my music dream and the future still seemed far away.

Sometime near my 30's I started to consider the direction of my life. The reality of my music dream proved a never-ending uphill climb with no guarantee for success . My (then) girlfriend Katie had a career and a college education. Her world had stability. This was when I'd begun to understand the difference between a 'job' and a 'career'. So I pursued a career, and thus began my 30s.

I felt I had a good head on my shoulders, good communication skills, a good work ethic, and all the necessary ingredients to be worthy of a career-caliber employment. But it was impossible to even get my foot in the door without the education. I worked several jobs, but they all were merely that - jobs. No future, no growth potential. I seemed to have found the ceiling for how much I could be paid an hour without a degree, and I wanted more.

I became resentful that I was being excluded from job opportunities merely due to education. My resume was solid. No matter how well I would ace the interview and made a solid impression, I'd always lose the good jobs to those 'gifted' with education and inexperience. I kept holding out for someone to give me a chance to prove my worth.

Then I got a job working for the state as a temp. I worked in the state office building surrounding the capital. It was here I was exposed to real career employment and the stability I so craved. It was also here that I learned the true reason I'd never get that opportunity to prove my worth: Human Resources.

Human Resources is the gate by which all new employees pass, and they do not let in anyone who doesn't more than meet their requirements for a job. If I wanted a quality job, it was going to cost me a quality education. So say'eth H.R.

Soon after that job ended, my new goal was to finish my education. Thanks to the support of my wife and her family, I was able to make that happen. I relocated to New York and I enrolled in college. Now, to say this transition was hard would be an understatement. It was grueling. But eventually I re acclimated myself to the life of a student. And here I am, now a senior and only two semesters away from accomplishing a four-year goal.

So was it worth it? Honestly, the answer is yes. I am smarter by the process and I have learned a great deal. I honestly think everyone should continually pursue some sort of education, in whatever capacity. It like exercising your brain.

I fully understand there is no guarantee that education will get me a job; but I feel better equipped to pursue it none-the-less. Soon I will be ready to kick open the HR gate and find a career. And hopefully, the company that hires me will pay for my education so I can begin pursuing my graduate's degree.

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Side-tracked

Does this sound familiar: You have something you know you need to do, like a chore, project or homework. It is right there in front of you. But for some reason, you find yourself doing some other random tasks that suddenly seem very important.

Here is a specific example: You've got to start writing a paper for class. You've been putting it off for awhile, but today your going to get it done. You sit down at your desk. You suddenly realize your desk is a cluttered mess. Because "a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind" you justify cleaning your desk in the name of your class paper. 30 minutes later, you desk is cleaned, your paper is still unwritten and you are ready for a break.

So what exactly is going on in our brains when this happens? Why are we creating a new alternative goal and then choosing the lesser of the two options? Is it a lack of focus, or our sub conscience creating a justifiable excuse for us to stall? Is it A.D.D. or our old pal laziness?

Whatever the answer, this phenomenon ends up costing us time and energy. Sure we've been productive, but we've made no progress toward our original goal. So how do we fix it? We see it for what it is, and we simply don't let it happen. Easier said then done, but the simplest solutions are usually the most effective.

Case in point: Just a few minutes ago I was trying to come up with a topic for this blog. Instead of coming up with a topic, I came up with a reason I needed to vacuum the room. So instead allowing myself to become side-tracked, I made being side-tracked the topic of my blog. (Wrap your minds around that!).


And now, I vacuum...

My Farmville Shame

I am addicted to Farmville. The shame, THE SHAME!

Maybe its karma, because I use to scoff at people who played it - (okay maybe scoff is too harsh a term.) But now it is I who should be scoffed - Oh, the irony.

My addiction started when the iPhone app came out. During the summer, both at work and not, I had a lot of down-time on my hands. Finally a free game on the iPhone that I could play regularly. At first I played Farmville like a stealthy ninja keeping it way on the down low.

But somewhere along the way my farm became important to me and I could no longer hide my shame. After all, I needed friends to be my neighbors so I could get a bigger farm. So I had to came out of the proverbial Farmville closet.

I now play Farmville regularly. I choose the crops I plant based on when the will harvest, so I know I am free to harvest them. In otherwords, I literally play Farmville on a schedule.

The biggest drawback to playing Farmville is the constant spam it generates on Facebook. I hate that the more I play, the more my profile page on Facebook is drowned in 'Lost Cow' and 'Free Fuel' spam mails. It has taken over my Facebook page like a cancer.

Its also worth mentioning that I am not so addicted to the game that I will shell out my own money to play it.

I'll admit that the game is a useful distraction from homework. The game is not so involved that takes my attention away from studying for long periods of time. For that I am grateful. Before Farmville I played World of Warcraft. If I logged into WoW, that meant I wouldn't be doing anymore homework that night.

So I just need to come to grips with my shame and accept it.

Now if you will, excuse me... I need to harvest some Ghost Chili Peppers.
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Let it Begin!

Greetings to all of you random strangers and fellow classmates. I am Jeremy Painter.

I have attempted to maintain a blog before, but they always end poorly. Despite by intentions, I am a repeat failed blog offender. Hopefully my Writing for Mass Media class will help me develop a routine of blogging that will continue beyond this semester. We will see...

Don't get me wrong, I do believe that blogging is good. A writer writes, as they say, and this is a good medium to practice writing and proofreading. Plus since New Media is suppose to my specialty, I should at least be embracing the technology. So here I am... embracing it.

My wife, on the other hand, is a very successful blogger. Her blog is called Slowing Down the Painter Life and she has maintained it successfully for over a year. This blog tells of the successes and misfortunes of her gardening, cooking and eating local & organic, as well as her bustling life as a mother.

I'm ashamed to say I don't read her blog much- but then I live it. I get to eat all of the food she's writing about, cooked with all the vegetables shes grown. Its not a bad arrangement, all in all. Maybe she will consider my swimming endorsement of her blog as a way to say I respect it (that is if she bothers reading mine, since I rarely read hers.)

Anyway, I have joined the Blogisphere. I am embracing it lovingly. If you are interested in my randomness, wit'icisms, and jovial personality then you are welcome back anytime.

And thanks for reading this far...
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