After switching between several desktop themes, I decided I wanted to go with one from Transformers. Of course, finding one which had Bumblebee was more difficult than it should have been. Luckily, other people are even more enthralled with it and have made some. My new desktop theme is awesome!
As always, I’ve planned to go to college but it just hasn’t worked that way. The way I see it, life just got in the way. I know you’re thinking “But, Cole, how can that be? Life doesn’t get in the way!” But I disagree. Life does get in the way. Life, as they say, is what happens when you’re busy planning and this certainly is true for me.
Right out of high school, I was planning to going to school for graphic design with an emphasis on web design, something which I obviously have an interest in. However, I wasn’t able to attend either of the schools which most interested me: IADT Chicago and Collins College. I worked for a while and my interest began to wane for a bit so perhaps not being able to attend was a good thing. I also became a little intimated by just how many people are going into this field and how this could be detrimental to me when it came time to joining the career field, especially with a lowered interest than some and less of a drive to be the best (if I even could be the best).
Between now and then I would marry Rian, move to Milwaukee and finally move to Japan, none of which were conducive to going to school though all offered me a different vantage point in life and possibly a little happiness to boot. Over time I would come to realize that most of my interests would pique and wane, none of them lasting more than a few years and perhaps I would be happy doing anything in which I had a mild interest or perhaps I have just not discovered what it is I would actually do, yet.
To date, I’ve shown at least a mild interest in architecture, law, graphic/web design, medical examinations, sex education, teaching, make up artistry, interior design, journalism/writing, singing and, most recently, mortuary science. All of these are as different from eachother as can be; although, they all offer some degree of structured freedom – under which I usually thrive.
As I mentioned, the most recent is mortuary affairs which, if you’re the linguist or even a logical person, you would notice the key word: mortuary. Yes, the interest in being a mortician or funeral direct, the more politically correct term. This job ranges from embalming bodies to post-mortem make up to the organization of funeral services and counseling of loved ones of the diseased.
There just seems to be something to serene about thinking about dead bodies (hang in with me, there, or skip down a paragraph to avoid the subject) and I really love people, but hate to be around them so what better solution than to surround myself with those who have already passed from the living? Furthermore, I love playing with make up and, though you might not recognize it, I love to organize and plan things (though getting them off the ground is sometimes a different things -lol-). Plus, black is a career wardrobe staple in this profession. Really, how much Gothier can you get? -lol-
I’ve been looking this way for a while because I wouldn’t need a 4 year degree so I would be able to enter the work force a bit sooner and start to work on something I’d at least enjoy, if not love, while I still try to discover that “it” thing, my true calling I guess. Many of the fields I’ve considered are actually not your typical liberal arts (4 year degree) fields, thus I’ve looked at many more private and technical colleges than public ones.
I’ve been focusing on 2 schools recently, with the intent of enrolling as soon as we’re back in the states or Rian is out of the Air Force, whichever works better though, preferably, the sooner the better. One is San Antonio College, obviously in San Antonio and the other is MATC or Milwaukee Area Technical College. One, basically, for where I come from and one from where Rian comes from and hopes to be stationed after this. My attention has been on the former’s Mortuary Science program and the latter’s Funeral Service program.
Additionally, I had been considering taking some courses here, which could be transferable to either school, at one of the schools on base (which are actually all offered online): Central Texas College, Troy University, University of Maryland University College and University of Phoenix. However, trying to find courses which fit the bill has been a little more difficult than imagined. On the other hand, both SAC and MATC do offer online courses in their respective programs so I might be able to take a few courses while we are here, still.
I recently sent inquiries to both schools about admissions requirements, transferring credits (and recommended courses to take in order to do this) as well as online courses. So far, I’ve heard back from MATC which had online classes and I haven’t realized but I haven’t heard from SAC, yet. I know that they do have online classes but I’m not sure if I can take them or if I would need to be a resident of Texas, but changing legal residency is not completely out of the question. And, if I could take the courses through the school I wish to attend and not need to worry about transferring credits at a later date, I’m all for it. Additionally, since I am overseas, I may be able to look to the military for tuition and expense help – although, I am not positive.
So, I will be looking into the online classes and enrolling if I can and, if not, I’ll see what courses might be available to me here because transferring courses is better than nothing.
I really am excited about the idea of attending college, finally!
Do you ever try really hard to like someone, or at least be tolerant of them, and fail miserably? I know I’m much more tolerant than I was. I know, now, that in some situations you simply bite your tongue and shut up in order to get along with someone because you have to, even if that someone is ignorant or foolish or just plain difficult. Of course, since we’re all wired with differently personalities, the people who fit the bit of being ignorant, foolish or difficult to me may not be the same for you; I may even be one of those people to you and that’s fine but because we need to live and work and exist alongside others, we must learn to deal.
I used to write people off because of face value – how they looked or what they said but first impressions can be, and often are, misleading. I was missing out on people because I was quick to label them as boring, too different, unintellectual, sheep, so on and so forth. What was really happening was that these people played the part, often unawares, in certain situations which led me to these incorrect assumptions. After all, in most social situations, we all modify ourselves ever-so-slightly as to fit in and get along?
But take an individual person or two out of these situations and provide the opportunity for me to become better acquainted with them, and my eyes would be opened to just how unique a person he or she was. This then inspired me to be able to see more of this unique person, in a group situation.
A few of these opportunities which I wasn’t so keen on, would make me much more interested in getting to know other people and, eventually, I would become much more tolerant to others and even when I wouldn’t have the chance to make someone’s acquaintance, I was much less likely to write them off or lump them in with another nameless group.
So I recognize the value and necessity of tolerance, today, and look forward to new friendships and relationships that I might otherwise have missed because of my former intolerance. Still, it’s not always easy to tolerate some personalities. In particular, 2 people are currently being very intolerable which leaves me with a rather bitter taste in my mouth and a resentfulness within me.
One of which is someone who has always rubbed me wrong but I thought perhaps I was being too intolerant and that this person needed a second chance. I went out on a limb trying to build a friendship, which never went anywhere because of their response – which is fine. I still tried to be tolerant but I noticed the things this person said and done were extremely hypocritical, rude and often condescending. While some people loved this person’s “confidence” and free spirit and others even thought of this person as fair and objective, this person only came off and arrogant, bitchy, stubborn and pretentious to me. And you know what, I don’t like that. I don’t like this person and I think that I don’t have to tolerate that sort of bullshit. M I Rite?
The other situation which comes to my mind easily is one with a coworker. Generally, I didn’t like her at first impression: clothes, make up, voice, laughter so on and so forth. Though, all of that can generally be ignored, I found I didn’t really like her any more the deeper I would delve. But, while I disliked this person overall, it was difficult to pinpoint a specific reason. We would greet eachother in the morning, bid adeu in the evening, chit chat during the day and be generally courteous but we weren’t making any effort to become fast friends. I figured that acting friendly might translate in actual feelings of amicability and truly being friendly but such just isn’t the case so I go on faking. Of course, the side of me which isn’t the better person sort of likes ‘holding’ that over someone – the not liking them but pretending nothing’s wrong thing. -eg-
Round chips are more fun (“funner”) than pointy ones.
The 3 weeks went quicker and better than expected.
We flew out on the 11th and headed to Tokyo. From one airport (Haneda), we took a bus to the other airport (Narita) and flew to Dallas from whence we flew out to, finally, San Antonio. Since all my other travels to and from Japan had involved spending the night at a hotel, this was difficult. In the end, we were traveling for over 24 hours straight and, after that, you really don’t feel very clean or cheery. Nevertheless, we made it without any real hassles (except for Rian thinking he left his keys in the taxi) and arrived in San Antonio in one piece.
His parents and sister were waiting after we disembarked from the last plane and I was quite nervous to meet him. I think it helped to break the ice that his sister hugged me while his mom was concentrating on having her son back. Overall, it went better than expected but I was uncomfortable in their home the first few days, expectedly. It grew easier toward the end of the vacation but, initially, I was in a strange place and felt much more like a guest than Rian did.
It was my first time in Texas or any place not in the midwest. I was quite warm and humid but, toward the end, a lot of rain helped to keep it cool.
We spent a lot of time shopping, though I think I spent less money than I intended, and eating out. Both activities are severely limited while in Japan either on or off base. I bought some clothes and badly need new shoes as well as a purse. We both spent quite a bit of money on books and while Rian spent more on video games, I did buy a few for the DS for myself – all of which became even more useful when Rian bought me my own DS. ^_^
Toward the end, I was sick of fast food and burger joints. We didn’t go to very many ‘nice’ sit down restaurants. I did, however, have a chance to experience “real” Mexican food (from a restaurant) and while I didn’t hate it, I didn’t love it either and don’t expect to have a craving for it any time soon.
Rian spent much time arguing with his mother about not going to any (more) Mexican restaurants because he doesn’t like it and, occasionally, it was extremely obvious how much Rian rejects his “heritage” though certain things were very understandable.
I got to experience a few new things besides the old ones I wanted to catch up on: Seaworld, Chuck E Cheese, and IHOP to name a few. We also saw Transformers with his family – 3 times – and it was quite a good movie so if you’re thinking about seeing it, do so! Rian and I saw Live Free or Die Hard which had it’s moments but was overall lacking, especially considering that it was a die hard flick.
We spent a lot of time just hanging out, playing games (like Transformers Monopoly), watching TV, sleeping in et cetera. We ended with a ghost tour of downtown San Antonio which was a little hokey but definitely fun.
I also spent a lot of time meeting the family – aunts, uncles, cousins so on and so forth which became old and tiring quickly but was to be expected. Despite the fact that Rian doesn’t like a lot of parties, his mom had a couple events to welcome us home and see us off and we spent some time with other family members as well so sometimes we just wanted some alone time.
Overall, it was pretty enjoyable and I think it did us well to be on vacation together. Being alone in Japan can be pretty stressful, I think. I need to head to work in a bit (bleh) so things are going to be getting back to normal pretty quickly here.
