Status Update 10/02/07

Fall is upon the asphalt jungle once again. I have come out from my shoe box to observe the changing seasons. One could hardly tell fall is here with temperatures hovering around ninety. Some trees have shed their leaves or become slightly discolored, but hat could be attributed to the weather.

After a summer of flooding rains and record-breaking heat, I welcome the fall. Months of trekking through the canyons of concrete, glass, and steel has made me almost giddy at the first sign of any cool breeze.Right now, it's my day off from my job at Planet K, and this has given me the perfect opportunity to reflect and ponder on things.

After two years here in the jungle, I have had somewhat of an epihpany. You could call it a moment of clarity, something that's rare in the frenetic pace of life in the big city. I realize that I am not so much happy as I am content. My goals after college were to find a job, get out on my own, and eventually find a mate. In the immortal words of Meatloaf, two out of three ain't bad

While these goals were broad, it was the first time I'd really figured out what the hell I wanted in life. I found a job working at what my friend called the Great Green Titanic - er - Gulf Greyhound Park. After almost two years of not having a job, I was willing to take anything, even if it was temporary. Although the job fell through eventually, it gave me that spark that I needed.

If I could run a VTR, a switcher, a sattelite receiver, and an effects generator all at once, I could do damn near anything. When my friend called me a couple of months later with the prospect of a job selling sunglasses in Houston, I seriously looked into it. Once I landed that job, I moved on to goal number two - finding a place to live

Finding a place to live in Houston was the proverbial daunting task. Number one, I had to find something that would fit in my budget. Number two, it had to be centrally located to be close to adequate public transporation. Probably the biggest deciding factor was that it was in an area that didn't flood. Hvaing grown up on the swampy Gulf Coast, I had lost too many of my personal effects to many a flood.

Once I found the ideal place, I quickly settled back into city life. Finding a mate was the farthest thing from my mind. I was too busy trying to juggle bills, rent, and work.Instead, what I found were two very good friends who anchored me. Now that one has moved, and I've grown apart from the other, I feel more centered.

The odd thing is that I'm happy just making friends with people. I realize this more as I get out and see people for who they really are. Maybe when I'm not looking I'll find that person. In the mean time, I'm looking to the long term.

After two years here, I have resolved to finding a better job, getting a bigger place, and - yes - as much as it pains me to say this - a car. Having a car will only make it easier for me to get the better job. So for now I'll sitting here waiting for fall to arrive while I soak up some sun.