Reflection - Day 23

My diploma is exactly 7 years old from I think June 6th. Not too far from today..so 7 years ago I left university, bright eyed and bushy tailed without knowing what would happen in the next few years.

But sometime along that summer I visited my grandmother for the last time in the Philippines. It was my first trip outside of the US alone, heck anywhere. Quite an experience there. I got to visit my family and my dad in Baguio, and see some churches there too. In Baguio City I visited Pink Sisters and there I prayed for many things, probably more sincerely than for anything else. I asked for health and for the health of my family, i asked for things just to be well and just a little direction and I even threw out there that maybe I ought to get a job at a cool stop like IDEO or working on prosthetics or building balisongs, dancing, martial arts, all that good stuff, and maybe even work for LEGO.

Here I am, at the cusp of a crossroads. I've dreamed up many things, told my friends that i'd be a millionaire before I was 30, but surely ..this is better. I'm not exactly sure if this is what one wanted when i was growing up. My family is full of people in nursing, doctors, some maids, but not this. I never knew this existed.

Sure, there's lots of luck involved, lots of persistence and pushing. Letting go and letting things come back. I know in 2006 i left the retail job voluntarily, and it was messy. If they wanted me back, they'd call and that they did. There weren't as many brick walls as there were hardships. Salaries looked better on the surface than they were, jobs were hard and the work tedious. Commuting and maintaining the car. I've also been the least thrifty out of my friends, with probably the least salary and a pretty lavish lifestyle of traveling, buying big boys toys and enjoying life. And of course, family troubles - hopefully to be put behind.
It was all rewarding, doing things you enjoy or love. Finding other passions in teaching and sharing information. The joy of winning and the agonies of defeat - all as worthwhile experiences. Finding someone amazing to share things and life with. And taking a minute to step back and feel the wind in your face, relax and find some peace. My last class taught me that at around my age, I'd be doing this and looking for meaning and place and validation. For now, I have some of that, but as i was told today, i'm still a young man.

Its a good time to look back especially after running hard and just going forward for so long. And soon, back to running, run forward, make the path if you need to.

Have Passion, Work Hard, Do Good, Focus, Push Yourself, Serve Others, Foster Ideas, Persist.

Flexibility, Fluency, Originality, Elaboration.