May 25 - Time sure does fly. I feel a little guilty not having written more nor writing sooner, but at least I'm here. I am about to begin week 10 at the Border Patrol academy and there are only 12 weeks total, therefore graduation is right around the corner on June 11. Come June 12, we'll hit the road for our 2nd big move. Chalyse and Santi are temporarily staying at my mother's house in Fabens. My first day of work, it looks like, will begin the following week.

04 Feb 2009

It's amazing how much people change throughout time. At one point, you see yourself being life-time partners or friends with an individual, and then turn the arms of the giant clock of life, and here you are wondering, "WHAT WAS I THINKING!?" And I don't blame myself for having the lack of judgment back then... I just realize that people change. This being said, here's a caveat to all you young, inexperienced readers: people change and when you find your lifelong partner, be ready to change with him or her. It is easier said than done, but at least it's being said. Be aware and be willing to adjust and grow together.

07 Jan 2009



What do adults do with their lives? I saw Die Hard 2 yesterday and enjoyed it. While watching it, I compared two characters. There is one character who is a lonely janitor at the Dulles, VA, Airport and the second character is the head Control Tower guy. The CT guy must have been the director of operations or something. Both characters were about the same age. The janitor, I'm sure, didn't go to college and landed the janitor job, while the CT Director must have gone through extensive courses and certifications, including promotions.



On this note of how adults push themselves in life, I spoke with one of our timeshare owners yesterday over the telephone and he told me he was retired. To make small talk, I asked him what he retired from and he answered "McDonalds." At first I had a prejudice mentality against the individual, laughing inside that the only made it in life with McDonalds. He went on to explain himself. 30 years, he put in, starting from the very bottom and then retiring as a senior member of management. We talked about technology and he was very direct with me in expressing his frustration against technology. He said, "as soon as computers came out I decided to retire." I asked him if he even had a cell phone, and was about to ask him if he knew how to use one, when he answered that "if it weren't for my kid in high school, I wouldn't own one." He went on to say that the cell phone was for emergency uses only.



So when an adult is done with high school, they're free, right? This freedom, I think, is like a very long hall way of doors. This hall way is so long that you cannot see the end. I think there are people in life who see this long hallway and as life comes at us we have to walk down the hallway. There are millions and endless doors located next to each other, and it's up to the individual which door he or she will open. Some doors are labeled as "College Education" or "Learn more about technology" or "become a friend to others" as well as "service to others." People see these labels on doors and have two choices: open it or don't.



These two options of opening or not opening are not as simple as they seem. In fact, he who opens the door must also take the action of stepping through the door and entering the "opportunity." Sometimes, adults open the door and either take a quick peek, or the door is completely opened as the individual stares in aw, gets scared and then quickly slams the door shut. Such occasions are when adults commit themselves to an opportunity but then get scared and back out at the latest opportunity before stepping through. While these people just described may come across as cowards, let's give them credit for reaching at the door knob and twisting it. There are instances when individuals don't even dare to touch the door knob. They see the label on the door and have pre-decided it wasn't for them.

For the janitor character, it can be said that the individual only chose a couple of doors once he entered adulthood. Let it be understood, however, that we cannot judge people for not having taken certain doors in life, as we've all walked our own hallways by ourselves. There is not way to critique that individual as we haven't seen the hallway he has walked down. However, let us criticize the many doors the individual ignored and walked past.

Do the missed doors lower the individual's quality of life? What determines the quality of life? Is the standard universal across cultures and geographies? It is not, but let us be influential and declare that there is high, medium and low quality of living. This janitor character, which I have been referring to, may have dedicated his life to his beloved family and while to him it is a waste of time to pursue an education or promotions at work, he dedicates his living breathes to family time. However, who is to say the same does not apply to another individual just as dedicated but willing to open the labeled doors?

Life is what we make of it and so we must work hard. We must work hard at our jobs and responsibilities, but we must also work hard at our passions, hobbies and interests.

As I am only 26 years old, I am finding myself applying for professional jobs which have inquired what licensing, managerial experience and education I have. While I have had my bachelor's degree for a little over a year, I know that I don't have the right experience although I have been keeping steady jobs ever since I started working at 16. I hope I will find and recognize these doors on my hallway journey and take advantage of as many opportunities that pose in my direction.