Still Staying Good

I’m happy about something and this is it: My life hasn’t been getting any lamer. There are no days that I reflect on and think, “Those were the days…” I don’t have a kick ass career or anything, but I like the job I got at Folsom Street Coffee. They even gave me a promotion. Ahem, General manager, ahem. I’m not making heaps of money, but I’m able to get by and still have free time to do cool stuff like go on canoe trips. I talked with an old high school friend today who said that he sometimes works 90-hour weeks at his accounting firm. I nearly had an anxiety attack on his behalf. I’ll take free time over superfluous money any day. With this mentality I’m not exactly on a fast-track to the top of any ladder, but small things keep working out for me, e.g. the promotion at work. I also recently got this cool work trade/study arrangement at Om Time yoga studio. I work there a few hours a week, and they let me take yoga classes for free. Doing more yoga is making me consider becoming an instructor, but that’s a-whole-nother topic worthy of its own blog post. I’ll admit that the monotony of having the same schedule every week wears on me sometimes, but that ought to be cured by my next random opportunity. Pat was living with his dad up Sugarloaf, and their house burned down in the Fourmile fire, which is awful, but they’re going to rebuild with insurance money and hire Miles and me to help out this winter, which is cool. I’m delighted at the prospect of learning a trade. Something done with one’s hands and the fruits of one’s labor is a tangible, useful thing. In six months, I could learn skills more valuable than what I learned in five years of college (Though I weigh the value of college in more terms than just fiscal ones. I’d probably be incapable of the kind of self-reflection needed to make this blog post, were it not for the growth I underwent during those five years.) This isn’t exactly a heyday for over-educated youths, so knowing a trade is a great way to hedge my bets, should my other intellectual dreams (writing, teaching, who knows?) fall through. I bet I’m not alone in this logic. I wouldn’t be surprised if colleges see a decline in applicants within a few years. Back when I graduated high school, my impression was that I was a zero if I didn’t go to college. But by now high schoolers must be hearing about how all a bachelors degree will get you is a mediocre job and a boatload of debt, so those on the fence will probably say no thanks when the college recruiters come around.