This is the first time I’ve taken a semester off from the pursuit of my Master’s degree. It’s a new feeling.
The feeling is that I haven’t actually had a “semester” off, ever. Ever since I attended elementary school to last semester, it has been Fall Semester, Spring Semester, Fall Semester, Spring Semester, Fall Semester… And now nothing. I’ve attained my Bachelor’s. I’m (estimated) 2 semesters from my Master’s. And now complications hit:
I have a new job. Well, I’ve had it since November 1st, but it still feels new to me that for once I am not earning a buck under the roof of an academic building, or on a campus (since my days working in a movie theater *shudder*). I now work for a Navy contractor doing what I’ve learned since my later years in high school to my last days as a videographer at Mason: Content. Content. Content.
And I am content (hahaha).
The job, in a surprise way, is a blessing. After I was unable to return for another year as a Graduate Assistant at my previous job on-campus (which I was told I’d still have, hence moving out of my parents), I relied on the goodness of a dear friend to get me a teaching job at Mason. This helped pay the rent, and it made me feel better that I was once again on my own. Independence. I was studying a career track I felt comfortable in and was giving back my knowledge as a Video instructor at my alma mater. But the job did not pay enough. The bills were racking up and I was burning through the money saved from my previous job. I was on the fence about asking my parents for money, because it was something I never wanted to do again (long story, maybe for another time). So while teaching and taking my Master’s classes part-time, I looked for jobs. Application after application was sent out, until I remembered an alumni of my fraternity had a job search connection, which I then took advantage of. A few e-mails about a job posting later and I found the perfect fit.
The perfect fit was a job that also felt like a long shot. My connection told me that there were already people lined up for the job and that my chances were slim. I submitted my application anyway, pulling references of my work and getting together a shoddy portfolio of what I thought was my best material. I had no idea what else these people looked for, but each line of their posting triggered a memory from years past.
“I know this”, I kept telling myself. “I got this.”
And a few days later, a response. They loved my work and wanted to set up an interview quickly. It was like my heart was about to fist-pump it’s way out of my chest while falling down some stairs into my stomach. With the money I had left, I bought myself a new blazer (the old one being too small for me… because of my diet at that point). I didn’t even have that much money left to my name that wasn’t budgeted to pay for bills. I would figure it had been less than $50 by the time of my interview. But I passed the interview, especially after they pulled in two other people along with the boss. And every question I knocked out of the ballpark, pertaining to editing, lighting, script writing, production set-ups, AP style writing, and odd questions to throw me off, but I made it.
The job provided me with much more money than I had made in my previous jobs. I gained medical insurance, a 401K plan, and a security clearance. I had regained confidence in myself and felt invincible… Until I reached the tipping point of that invincibility. Mistakes later, I entered 2012 with a renewed sense of being.
In early January, 2012, I decided a few things:
- Surround myself with people who support me.
- Disconnect myself from Facebook and other distractions.
- Lead a healthier lifestyle.
- Balance my life out and continue stress-free.
First of all, I began spending more time with my family. They were all I had and the only people who wanted the best for me. And I started talking to people who shared the same goals as me, leading me to join a local gym as well as try new food.
I disconnected myself from Facebook, which wasn’t actually all that hard to do after the first few days. I began to realize that not only did no one communicate outside of it, but I had no other way of reaching people aside from Twitter. Facebook was a facade, 700+ friends, out of which maybe less than 30 people actually would say something to me. It was that “Did you see my message on Facebook” conversation that started to get to me and the time I’d spend at nights posting things for some sort of validation. I was literally giving my time to something that wouldn’t affect me positively, waiting for someone to press ‘Like’ or someone to comment on whatever I had posted. I was a loser, and I didn’t care. So I got rid of it, and that’s when I realized how only the people who texted me really cared about what I’d be doing later. It also meant another thing: Because I had been so connected, and everything about events and social interactions were interfaced through Facebook, I started losing touch with a lot of people and the lifestyle that it’s connection had inscribed into me. But I only realized this after over a month away, only to return to Facebook being flooded with “memes” and garbage.
In 2012, I also decided to lead a healthier lifestyle. By the time of my job interview, I was about 200lbs, mainly in mass and ass. As of now, I’m 180-185. I completely changed my diet, increasing my metabolism and protein intake, while decreasing carbs (not cutting it out) and drinking more water. Juice, soda, and alcohol were my strict enemies, but especially soda, which had NO nutritional value and I was starting to believe this whole “caffeine” thing was a lie.
So I am trying to do this semester stress-free. Taking a hiatus from school benefits me because with all these changes, my body couldn’t possibly adapt unless I eased into it the course of a few months. I’m slowly letting Facebook (and the dozens of people I cut out) back into my life, but Facebook is the “soda” of the internet, which eventually I’ll just start texting and calling people more often when I get off my butt about finding their numbers (did I mention that after my job interview, my phone reset and I lost everyone’s numbers).
If you’ve read this far, I’d like to congratulate you on catching up to speed on the abridged version of my life up to this point. This blog was supposed to be mainly aimed at understanding my reach into higher education, and while my passion still lies in that field, I felt writing something about my life while still pursuing the degree held some merit.
Very respectfully,
George
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