I have now been back from California for about a week. Upon returning, I immediately got in a car and drove with my brother to Mississippi to help him move in to his new house at school (the same moron brother that tore his knee up giving a piggy back ride).
When I got back to this prison (Gainesville) on Wednesday, I immediately began waiting for a phone call from the fine people at Warner Bros.
After my interview 10 days ago, I was told that they would hopefully know one way or another by the middle of the week (last week). When Tuesday rolled around, I of course started staring at my phone with more angst than Barack Obama
eyeing his next television appearance....than Bill Maher eyeing his next bad interview...than Don Draper eyeing the new intern...let's just say I wanted the phone call pretty badly.To be clear, I do not want this job out of depseration. To be honest, if it were just a job for a job's sake, than I would work in a restaurant as a waiter until I figured out what I wanted to do next.
However, I am hungry. I graduated over three months ago, and so far I have essentially been told that it doesn't matter, that I am as qualified to work as high school kids (not even high school grads, mind you). I have probably applied to over 50 jobs, most of which I felt I was overqualified for, and have come away with something like 3 job offers, all of which are for part time, minimum wage paying gigs.
The assumption for all of these jobs was that they would be space-fillers until I could afford to move out to LA and get a job in the television and film industry, most specifically on the research side of things (it is what I enjoy and what I am good at).
What I learned, however, is that you cannot fake passion. I find it impossible to tell someone that I would love to sell Home Depot remodeling packages to potential buyers, or that working in the cart garage is exactly what I wanted to do after spending over $150k on an education. That is why when I was forwarded the project that I was to complete as Round 2 of my interview for the job in LA I knew that it was the right fit.
I attacked the project. For the first time in three months, I felt like I was doing the right thing. I devoured the data and did probably twice as much work on it as I needed to. I checked and re-checked figured. I tweaked and prodded. I probably saved fifteen different versions of the final draft. And the entire time, I enjoyed the hell out of what I was doing.
When I was in school, I grabbed life by the balls. I was in charge of organizations, I got good grades, and I did everything I could to make myself marketable. I used my brain, a brain that has usually gotten me where I need to go.
Three months of sitting around and looking, planning my next move has made me hungry. To compound the issue, I did some driving around while I was in LA. A lot of it. And the result was that I saw a busy, happening city. Things happen there. People are active, in one way or another. It certainly has its downfalls, as does every city. But it is the type of place where an aggressive young adult FITS. And to be honest, I would rather scrape by in LA then live comfortably in Gainesville. It is just not in my nature to sit idly by when there is good work to do.
So I continue to wait for my phone call, praying that it is the first one of the summer that delivers the type of message I grew so accustomed to hearing in school and always expect to hear when I pursue things, something like "When can you start?" or "We'd love to have you." Hell, I'd even settle for "Don't embarass me." At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how I get hired, as long as I do.
A few people have told me that I will become a leader one day in whatever it is that I choose to do. As arrogant as it might sound, I happen to agree with them. However, before that can happen, I need the opportunity to get started.
So until I get my phone call, I really will be focusing on nothing else, just staring at my phone screen like some high schooler waiting around home on a Friday night for their crush to call.
My usual distractions are failing to fill the void: Miami football is in top-secret mode right now, where no one is really sure what is going on (to be honest, I just want to fast forward to FSU kickoff); I have been doing a morning and afternoon workout every day and see no need to fit anothr one on; and for the first time, school is not going to start for me on Wednesday. Let's just pray I get my phone call soon, before this knot in my stomach turns in to an ulcer.
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