When I said that 2010 is going to be the Year of Jack it was because 2009 was in many ways the worst year of my life. It felt a bit like I was slowly being suffocated. I am not afraid of dying, but I prefer something quick and painless, don’t we all.
But as my kids say I am 40.5 and part of a family with incredible genes so life is really just beginning for me. That is how I view 2010, the new beginning. Part of that new beginning involved heavy thought about what I want to do on a professional level. What career path do I want to follow.
In a perfect world I’d play left field for the Dodgers and power forward for the Lakers. In the land of reality I have to adjust those goals somewhat. Walk with me for another moment and I’ll tell you some more. I have a BA in Journalism. I was the Editor-in-Chief of my high school and college newspapers. For a while I thought that I was going to be a sports reporter.
It didn’t happen. Looking back from my freshman year of college until today I see an interesting path of things that I have done. Here is an incomplete list:
- Teacher/Youth Director/Youth Advisor/life guard
- Salesman- sold advertising, copiers, sun glasses, tools for cutting for concrete
- Dir. of Marketing
- Writer
- Construction jobs- Primarily as a project manager but it includes a few other items as well.
- Information Broker/Business Development/Meshugehneh
I intentionally left off the obvious husband/father type stuff. Looking back it reminds me a bit of a real life version of Chutes and Ladders, but far more complicated. Maybe a spider web version of Chutes and Ladders makes more sense, I don’t know.
If I was a professional blogger I’d take all those experiences and tell stories about my life. I’d connect with my readers and do my best to build a community. A community of people who love to come here not because they like reading my tales, but because they like each other. It would be a combination of bar/diner/home and backyard.
You hang out at Jack’s because everyone knows your name. You hang out at Jacks’ because his story is your story and your story is their story. You hang out at Jack’s because you can’t believe that idiot still comes by. You know, the one that drives you crazy for whatever reason. Jack’s place is real. It is authentic. You don’t like everyone, but those people are the exception. The good far outweighs the bad and that makes Jack’s place a precious commodity, a refuge you can’t do without.
That is the rough draft, just a few sketches I made on a cyber napkin while sitting on my cyber bar stool, or maybe it is a booth, or a hammock. Doesn’t really matter.
If was a professional blogger that is sort of how I hope it would be.
I am starting out the year in one place, don’t know where I’ll be living or what I’ll be doing- but it will all be part of the story. If you like adventure stick around and join me, let’s see what happens.
2010 is the Year of Jack.
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