November Wrap-Up

So, again, it’s been far too long. Mea culpa.

November was an interesting month by all accounts, and I won’t soon be forgetting it. It wasn’t so much that it was way off the charts with weirdness or something earth-shattering occurred, nor did I win the lottery or go to jail. Nothing that interesting happens to me anymore.

Actually, very little as changed since the last time we talked – I’m still unemployed, I still don’t own a car, and I still spend way too much time on my couch. But I’ve taken a lot of self-inventory over the past few weeks and needless to say I’ve learned/realized a few things. Let’s review:

1. Charm alone will only get you so far in life. At some point some work needs to be put in or the truth must be told or something difficult must be done. A lot of things in life can be faked or falsified, but the important stuff takes effort and honesty and fortitude.
2. The hardest things to admit usually contain the most truth. For example: I don’t want to go back to school because I have no desire to do the work and I’m ashamed of that.  I can only admit that now because I’ve come to terms with it, but there are other things that I don’t want to admit because saying them out loud only gives them credence.
3. “Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.” The Walrus really hit the nail on the head with that one, eh?
4. Money can’t buy happiness, and friends are priceless, but with more money I’d be able to make my friends happier. Everyone loves the guy who picks up the check, right? One of these days everything will come full circle and I’ll get mine, but until then it stings.
5. At this point my life isn’t worth sharing. I need to get my own house straight before I start trying to open the door to a lady. Yes, it is great to offer support and companionship and an assumed Friday night date but, let’s be honest here, chicks really want a guy who will pick up the tab and bring her home to a nicer place than hers.
6. It only takes three things to turn a good day into a great day: 1) good tunes on an iPod, 2) a hobby that will clear your head, and 3) good friends who know that company is priceless and a well told joke is the best therapy.
7. The past is the past, and dwelling isn’t healthy, but there are still things to be learned from mistakes that were made. However, there is also a lot to be learned from the successes that were had.
8. Life ain’t too bad. Yeah, I got laid off, I’ve gone practically broke, and I got dumped all in the last ninety days. But honestly, how bad is any of that? If I hadn’t have gotten canned I wouldn’t be going back to school, living on a shoestring is teaching me valuable money-management skills, and getting dumped is something that needs to happen to everyone at least twice – it’s an eye opener that forces you to look at yourself from another perspective. All-in-all, I’m going to come out of this a better man.

So yeah, November 2009 will go down in history as “The Month of Lessons.”

I haven’t slept well in weeks, but each night the dreams come a little easier. I haven’t had an actual home-cooked meal (not counting Thanksgiving) in forever, but I’m going to start cooking for myself again. Today marks the start of my 13th week being unemployed, but I’ve got two interviews this week and I’m going to rock them both. Things are getting better by all accounts, and I’m not going to let them get this bad ever again.

This coming weekend I’ll begin my 28th lap around the sun and I am bound and determined to make it better than any of the previous. Come hell or high water I will learn, I will improve, and I will come out ahead.

(Side note: I don’t know how many readers I have or who any of you are unless you leave a comment, but to those of you who’ve stuck around for the past few months and offered encouragement while I sorted all this crap out: thanks. Y’all are great friends, and everyone knows that it’s only friends and opposable thumbs that separate us from the animals.)