We are full swing into the new year. It hasn't even been a month and already my year is trying to be eventful. A week and a half ago I went to the doctor. He informed me that I needed to have my tonsils taken out. Fine, I'll have my tonsils taken out. He then told me that it would probably be a good idea if I have tubes put back in my ears. I was only half listening as he said that. It didn't quite sink in until we left his office and a surgery date was set. TUBES!!! I'm not a child. Now, I did have to have tubes put into my ears a few times as a kid but I'm no longer a kid. I'm an adult man who just happens to have consistent ear infections. Why can't I just continue to take antibiotics when I get an infection? I guess I'm just a man-child. Everyone who tells Melissa that I'm her oldest child must be correct.
As many of you know, I'm going to be graduating at the end of this year. I'm finally going to have that bachelors degree that I sought after 10 years ago. I'm finally going to be a man...or something like that. I'm both excited and apprehensive. I know that this isn't going to be the end for me. I'm going to have to go and gain some sort of professional degree if I want to earn more money than I am now. You see, when I finally decided to go back to school and finish what I started, I ended up in the major that would help me graduate the fastest. That degree happens to be in in creative writing. What is creative writing, you ask? Well, with a degree in creative writing I can tell people that I'm a writer. I can proofread and edit like a champion. I have the knowledge to write effectively. When I graduate I'll have the skills to write books, poems, non-fiction prose, and anything else that my little heart wants to write about. I'll be an English graduate. I don't however, want to write for the rest of my life. As rewarding as it is to sit on here and hash out the thoughts in my head, it's not something that I feel will give me that sense of accomplishment. I've given a lot of thought to what will and have come up with a lot of answers. But, as I thought more about it, I decided that there is only one thing that would probably help me feel complete.
One of the biggest reasons that I am finally graduating is that I had a counselor who cared enough about me and my goals to help me achieve them. She has sat down with me on a few occasions and listened as I planned out my future. She has helped me reign in my desire to leap over every cloud I could get my hands on and focus in on the ones that will provide the best benefit. I took classes where the instructors took every opportunity to help us figure out what we are good at. I was told once that the careers that I'd feel the most accomplished in would be careers in culinary arts, teaching, writing, and school counseling. I didn't remember taking this test until a few days ago. It's interesting that the four careers this test told me would be rewarding to me are the four that I would have chosen anyway.
When I took a break from USU I decided to go to culinary arts school. I decided that my passion for food was great enough that I wanted to make a career out of it. My goal with it however, wasn't to stand in a kitchen and cook for people who don't appreciate what I'm doing. My goal was to teach others about food and help them gain the same passion for it that I have. I wanted to write a cookbook dedicated to the people who constantly say that they can't cook. My mantra in cooking has always been that anyone can cook, it just takes some more practice than others. It wasn't until my days of culinary school were over that I decided to go back to USU and finish my degree in creative writing. I've been writing little books since I was in first grade and felt like my calling was in writing books. As I've progressed into the degree, I've found that writing is something that I'd love to do on the side, much like cooking, and that my sense of accomplishment would be found elsewhere.
As I've pined over what I should do post-graduation, my mind has constantly been turned back to counseling, which is the route that I've decided to take. When I say counselor, I don't mean therapist. I don't feel that I'm qualified nor will I ever be, to offer emotional and mental advice. I can talk all day about my personal triumphs and failures with it, but to help others isn't something that I could do. I tend to internalize things; I want to take their pain away. I want to be a counselor that someone can turn to in order to help them figure out their lives. I want to be there for people who are struggling to find a path to follow. I want to help young adults figure out their strengths and desires. I want to help them as my professors and counselors helped me. I want to help them find a path that they can love and give them the tools and encouragement that they need to walk it. I wish the people that I have to talk to now would have been in my life 10 years ago.
Now, I write these things not to just tell you what my future goals are, but to offer my help. I've been down the road to dead end jobs and confusing futures. I've asked myself why I even go to school when I don't know what to do. I've stumbled, I've fallen, I've dug holes and hid, but I've finally climbed out. If this sounds like you, let me be the first to tell you that you aren't the only one. There are plenty of people in this world who are struggling like you. I was one of them for far longer than I should have been. If you ever want to to talk don't hesitate to call me, text me, or message me. I guarantee that I won't have all of the answers, but I can definitely help you get started on a path that will help.
-Jer
I'm currently editing something that I've been working on for a few months. When it's done I'm going to share it with you. It's a history of a physical health issue that I've been dealing with for years. Stay tuned.
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