-Can we roll the windows down? It’s really hot in here.
-Sure babe.
-How did the interview go?
-Same as all the others.
-That good, huh?
-That good.
-I know you’ll find something soon.
-I guess.
-What do you mean? That’s what you want right?
-I don’t know what I want.
-We talked about this.
-I know that.
-I thought your mind was made up. Do you want to talk more?
-No.
-Do you want to go to college?
-No.
-The smartest person in our graduating class by a long shot and you don’t want to go to college.
-This again?
-Oh hush, you know I don’t care. It may even make me love you more.
-Right.
-What does your dad say?
-You can probably guess. “Get a degree or your life is over.”
-You should tell him.
-Why?
-Why not?
-He’s got enough to worry about. Besides, I’d rather be able to live the rest of my life without everyone else worrying about me.
-He’ll find out soon enough.
-Soon enough.
-Do you ever want to just get away?
-What do you mean?
-We should just start driving and not stop until we’ve seen a dozen things that take our breath away and then stop there and find a house to live in.
-Well I’m at one already.
-One what?
-Thing that takes my breath away.
-You’re so sweet. I’m serious though.
-I’ve thought about it. As happy as it would make me, I couldn’t leave everything.
-What’s to leave?
-Family mostly.
-They’re ok without you.
-I guess I know that, but deep inside it feels like I’m running out on them.
-Sometimes you have to live for yourself.
-Sometimes some people have to live for themselves. Others need to live for the people they love.
-If they loved you they would want you to be happy.
-Oh they do.
-Then what’s stopping you?
-Part of me always thinks I’m doing the wrong thing.
-Tell that part to shut up. Just do what feels right.
-...
-Are you done talking?
-I didn’t even say anything.
-I know, that’s what I mean. You reach a point and it’s like you run out of words.
-I’m sorry.
-Don’t be sorry. I love you.
-I know
-...
-Now who’s run out of words?
-Oh, I’M not allowed to be quiet?
-I didn’t say that.
-Those apartments down by the lake are nice. What are they called?
-I don’t know.
-We should drive by tomorrow.
-I thought you were going to drive across the country?
-They aren’t as nice as some of the others in town but I think the view is worth it.
-You wanted to go to college.
-Yes, I did.
-Well, why aren’t you?
-Things change.
-They don’t have to.
-Don’t they?
-We could change our minds. It’s not too late.
-Some things are more important than college. Sometimes it’s more important to live the life you’re given instead of the one everyone expects of you.
-Sometimes.
-Most times.
-Most people don’t do it.
-Most people don’t. You should tell your dad.
-Which part?
-Everything.
-No.
-Then who is supposed to explain? Me?
-No, I’ve written a letter.
-Oh, that makes it all ok then.
-Hush.
-We could move to the moon.
-That’s definitely what we should do.
-The baby would have plenty of room to play!
-...
-Are you empty again?
-I guess so. You know I would be ok with it right? I mean, if we did it. You shouldn’t have to, I mean, by yourself…
-I wouldn’t be ok. I’ll need this.
-Ok.
-Will you play catch with him?
-So sure it’s a boy?
-I am. Will you take him fishing?
-...
-What did the doctor say?
-...
-What did he say? Less than we thought?
-...
-What did he say?
-Two months.
-...
-I’m sorry.
-You need to tell your Dad.
-I’ll tell him tonight.
-Hold me.
-Make sure our boy gets to go fishing, will you?
-I will.
-Thanks for not crying.
-I’m empty.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
In Defense of WoW
World of Warcraft (WoW) is a hobby of mine. Actually, saying that it's a hobby is probably an understatement. I'm quite sure I've spent significantly more time than I should have playing this game over the past few years. There are stigmata that some people believe float around with WoW players, but I say these people be damned. WoW is my hobby, I have fun playing, and it makes me happy. I have no doubt that some of these people who are so quick to cringe and take a step back when I say that I am a WoW player spend just as much time on their hobbies of choice. With the amount of time spent watching television by the majority of America I think most people have little room to talk. At least in WoW I am doing something besides sinking into the couch while the glowing lights zombify my brain.
I guess I should explain what WoW is for those who are unfamiliar. If you are one of those bigoted individuals who no matter what they hear will still see WoW as an activity for pimply faced adults living in their mother's basements feel free to skip over this paragraph. Actually, just turn off your computer and go suck a tailpipe. Anyway, WoW is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (mmorpg). What does that mean? It means that there are millions of players just like myself who quest, craft, gather, trade, train, collect, and just hang out in the WoW universe. In the World of Warcraft players choose a faction, race, and class and take their chosen character out into the world of Azeroth to play. What some might consider the main game is adventuring your way from levels 1-80. This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg that is WoW. Along the way you can pick up professions that you advance to make more powerful gear, consumable items, pets, mounts, and so much more. You can even fight against players of the opposing faction if you so choose. So what happens when your character turns level 80? Game over right? In my opinion this is just when the fun really starts. At the level cap you have the option of teaming up with a group of friends (yes, real people! *gasp*) to explore massive dungeons and fight epic battles to gain extra rare armor and items. I could probably continue describing this game all day, but hopefully you understand the basics and I will force myself to move on.
One of the most common opinions I hear about World of Warcraft is that it is monotonous and boring. This is amazing to me because more often than not, the people who make this statement are players of games in the first person shooter genre. Now I have no doubt that fans of these games would be quick to prove me wrong, but let's take a quick look at what a FPS is anyway. First person shooters involve people running around and shooting each other for points. Sure there are other game modes like capture the flag or king of the hill, but it all basically boils down to who can shoot the other person the quickest. In my experience, fans of the genre only play on one or two maps because that is where they are most comfortable and able to perform the best. Now can you honestly tell me that a game like WoW where you have a massive, wide open world to do basically anything you want in is more monotonous than a game where you are doing the exact same thing in the exact same place over and over? If you get bored in WoW there is always something else for you to do. You can even start a new character of a different class and get an entirely different experience from the game.
Next in line for most often heard complaint about WoW is probably, "I don't want to pay every month to play a game". First off, how much does WoW cost to play? If you choose to pay on a month by month basis it will cost $14.99 per month. If you choose to pay for multiple months or even a year at a time there are, of course, discounts to be had. Now I should probably address why you have to pay at all. WoW is a massive online game. All the game data from all the players has to be stored somewhere right? Servers have to be maintained to bring this world to life. Not to mention the amount of time spent patching and monitoring the game by Blizzard (the creator of the game) employees. These are all costs that have to come from somewhere! Back to the complaint about paying now. A friend of mine has always told me he won't play WoW because of the monthly cost. This is the same friend who buys a new video game for his Xbox 360 or PS3 almost every week. That's $60 a pop. He could buy one less video game a month and pay for four months of WoW. Let's say you don't have such an expensive gaming habit though. You could eat out one less time or not go to the movies one weekend and use that money for your WoW subscription. Yes, 15 bucks a month adds up, but as entertainment costs go, it's really not that bad.
Finally, many people seem to think that only socially awkward no life losers play WoW. Certainly these people exist, but I'm quite sure you could find them in most hobbies if you looked hard enough. I am a member of a fairly large guild in the World of Warcraft. Throughout the lifetime of the guild I have played with mothers, fathers, children, teenagers, college students, and real life friends. WoW is, by design, an extremely social game. There are many aspects of the game that you could not possibly see without working together as a group. Some people may say that the friends I've made in the game don't count because they are "online friends" but to me, the relationships I've made through WoW are just as strong and important, if not more so, than many of my "real life" friends. My guild is a community and it's a great feeling to get to sit down at night and talk to a group of friends as we explore the far reaching lands of Azeroth and defeat world threatening evil.
I guess I should explain what WoW is for those who are unfamiliar. If you are one of those bigoted individuals who no matter what they hear will still see WoW as an activity for pimply faced adults living in their mother's basements feel free to skip over this paragraph. Actually, just turn off your computer and go suck a tailpipe. Anyway, WoW is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (mmorpg). What does that mean? It means that there are millions of players just like myself who quest, craft, gather, trade, train, collect, and just hang out in the WoW universe. In the World of Warcraft players choose a faction, race, and class and take their chosen character out into the world of Azeroth to play. What some might consider the main game is adventuring your way from levels 1-80. This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg that is WoW. Along the way you can pick up professions that you advance to make more powerful gear, consumable items, pets, mounts, and so much more. You can even fight against players of the opposing faction if you so choose. So what happens when your character turns level 80? Game over right? In my opinion this is just when the fun really starts. At the level cap you have the option of teaming up with a group of friends (yes, real people! *gasp*) to explore massive dungeons and fight epic battles to gain extra rare armor and items. I could probably continue describing this game all day, but hopefully you understand the basics and I will force myself to move on.
One of the most common opinions I hear about World of Warcraft is that it is monotonous and boring. This is amazing to me because more often than not, the people who make this statement are players of games in the first person shooter genre. Now I have no doubt that fans of these games would be quick to prove me wrong, but let's take a quick look at what a FPS is anyway. First person shooters involve people running around and shooting each other for points. Sure there are other game modes like capture the flag or king of the hill, but it all basically boils down to who can shoot the other person the quickest. In my experience, fans of the genre only play on one or two maps because that is where they are most comfortable and able to perform the best. Now can you honestly tell me that a game like WoW where you have a massive, wide open world to do basically anything you want in is more monotonous than a game where you are doing the exact same thing in the exact same place over and over? If you get bored in WoW there is always something else for you to do. You can even start a new character of a different class and get an entirely different experience from the game.
Next in line for most often heard complaint about WoW is probably, "I don't want to pay every month to play a game". First off, how much does WoW cost to play? If you choose to pay on a month by month basis it will cost $14.99 per month. If you choose to pay for multiple months or even a year at a time there are, of course, discounts to be had. Now I should probably address why you have to pay at all. WoW is a massive online game. All the game data from all the players has to be stored somewhere right? Servers have to be maintained to bring this world to life. Not to mention the amount of time spent patching and monitoring the game by Blizzard (the creator of the game) employees. These are all costs that have to come from somewhere! Back to the complaint about paying now. A friend of mine has always told me he won't play WoW because of the monthly cost. This is the same friend who buys a new video game for his Xbox 360 or PS3 almost every week. That's $60 a pop. He could buy one less video game a month and pay for four months of WoW. Let's say you don't have such an expensive gaming habit though. You could eat out one less time or not go to the movies one weekend and use that money for your WoW subscription. Yes, 15 bucks a month adds up, but as entertainment costs go, it's really not that bad.
Finally, many people seem to think that only socially awkward no life losers play WoW. Certainly these people exist, but I'm quite sure you could find them in most hobbies if you looked hard enough. I am a member of a fairly large guild in the World of Warcraft. Throughout the lifetime of the guild I have played with mothers, fathers, children, teenagers, college students, and real life friends. WoW is, by design, an extremely social game. There are many aspects of the game that you could not possibly see without working together as a group. Some people may say that the friends I've made in the game don't count because they are "online friends" but to me, the relationships I've made through WoW are just as strong and important, if not more so, than many of my "real life" friends. My guild is a community and it's a great feeling to get to sit down at night and talk to a group of friends as we explore the far reaching lands of Azeroth and defeat world threatening evil.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Why Facebook?
I realize that the "in" thing to do right now is probably to bash Facebook (or blindly praise it) but I feel like putting in my two cents about it too so you can either listen or close the browser window (isn't the Internet great?).
First off I should say that I do in fact have a Facebook account. I went on a group trip to China a couple years back and at the end of the trip everyone insisted that I get Facebook so I could keep in touch with them. Well, I got the Facebook account, invited most of the people on the trip to be my friend, and surprise, haven't heard from them since. Now I have probably 20-30 people on Facebook that I never talk to and honestly don't know that well. However, I'm pretty sure among Facebook users that this is a fairly small amount of unknown people to have on your list. A lot of the people I see have hundreds of people on there that they could not possibly know that well. Let's have a competition to see who can get the most imaginary friends!
Being friends with strangers is just a small part of the nonsense that is Facebook though. I can't understand why people post private conversations right there on their wall for the world to see. Even people in relationships do this. Pick up a phone! Send them a PRIVATE message. Get it through your head that the world could not care less about how much fun you had cuddling on your couch last night or how long it's been since the two of you hung out. Did you just witness a badger setting fire to Nazi picnickers in the park? THAT is something interesting that the rest of the world might get a kick out of.
Now, I also really do not need to know what you are doing every minute of every day. You just ate lunch? No WAY! So did the rest of the world, asshole. Sitting at home, watching a movie, or going to sleep? I'm very happy for you but I do not care. A few days ago a friend of mine brought to my attention that the people who post status messages about how busy they are are usually also the most active on Facebook. Maybe they should give the rest of the world a break and work on something important for a change. Just take a second to stop and think to yourself, "If someone else was doing this, would I care?". Actually, on second thought, most Facebook users would indeed probably care about their friends sleeping habits and bowel movement frequency.
Finally, do people really have such little self respect that they willingly post pictures of themselves getting absolutely wasted and acting like fools for the camera? You know everyone is going to see this right? Is there really nobody in this world that you wouldn't want to see you drunk out of your mind, half naked, hugging your toilet like a life raft?
Well, I think the dog needs to go out. I'd better go inform the world. Don't worry, I'll post pictures later!
First off I should say that I do in fact have a Facebook account. I went on a group trip to China a couple years back and at the end of the trip everyone insisted that I get Facebook so I could keep in touch with them. Well, I got the Facebook account, invited most of the people on the trip to be my friend, and surprise, haven't heard from them since. Now I have probably 20-30 people on Facebook that I never talk to and honestly don't know that well. However, I'm pretty sure among Facebook users that this is a fairly small amount of unknown people to have on your list. A lot of the people I see have hundreds of people on there that they could not possibly know that well. Let's have a competition to see who can get the most imaginary friends!
Being friends with strangers is just a small part of the nonsense that is Facebook though. I can't understand why people post private conversations right there on their wall for the world to see. Even people in relationships do this. Pick up a phone! Send them a PRIVATE message. Get it through your head that the world could not care less about how much fun you had cuddling on your couch last night or how long it's been since the two of you hung out. Did you just witness a badger setting fire to Nazi picnickers in the park? THAT is something interesting that the rest of the world might get a kick out of.
Now, I also really do not need to know what you are doing every minute of every day. You just ate lunch? No WAY! So did the rest of the world, asshole. Sitting at home, watching a movie, or going to sleep? I'm very happy for you but I do not care. A few days ago a friend of mine brought to my attention that the people who post status messages about how busy they are are usually also the most active on Facebook. Maybe they should give the rest of the world a break and work on something important for a change. Just take a second to stop and think to yourself, "If someone else was doing this, would I care?". Actually, on second thought, most Facebook users would indeed probably care about their friends sleeping habits and bowel movement frequency.
Finally, do people really have such little self respect that they willingly post pictures of themselves getting absolutely wasted and acting like fools for the camera? You know everyone is going to see this right? Is there really nobody in this world that you wouldn't want to see you drunk out of your mind, half naked, hugging your toilet like a life raft?
Well, I think the dog needs to go out. I'd better go inform the world. Don't worry, I'll post pictures later!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Feeling Lost
A lot of people would probably tell you what their blog is going to be about in their first post. I would do the same except I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to be writing about here. I mainly just want somewhere to spew out my thoughts and freshen up my writing skills.
Recently I have been feeling kind of lost as to what I want to do with my life. I graduated a little over two years ago from Old Dominion University with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. While I was going to school everyone kept telling me how I was in such a good field and I would be able to find a great job so easily when I graduated. There was just one problem with that, I hated what I was studying. I didn't always hate it. Well, I guess I should say it just wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I may have been slightly mislead as to what an Electrical Engineering Technology degree is. I guess I was expecting it to involve computers more and old circuit boards with massive outdated components less. Anyway, I didn't enjoy it enough to actually seek out a job in that field when I graduated. I hate to say it, but right now I feel like going to college was a huge waste of my time. I have heard so many times that as long as you have a degree of some sort you will be ahead of the game. This hasn't proven to be true so far. Maybe the economy is just too bad right now, maybe I haven't tried hard enough, but either way I have yet to have my degree open any doors.
So here it is, two years later, and I have yet to find steady work. I've done a few computer jobs here and there, but haven't found anything I feel like I could be happy doing for the rest of my life. I have been asked many times what I would do if I could do anything at all with my life. Every time I stop and try and give this question some serious thought. No matter what new crazy idea may be floating through my head at the time I always seem to hover around the desire to be a writer. This surprises people because I have been so technology focused my entire life. "Oh, he works with computers" has been the best way to describe me for quite a while. I really am serious when I say I want to write though. I don't even care what I write, I just want to get stories out there. Ideas swim through my brain every day, but I guess I have either lacked the motivation or belief in myself to get them out. Perhaps this blog will be the first step toward my writing career.
I can't tell you what to expect from this blog but I hope that at least some of my ramblings will be entertaining to someone. I highly doubt every post will be a look into my life like this one. Perhaps tomorrow I will write about my adventures in the World of Warcraft or maybe about the squirrel in my ceiling. Who knows?
Recently I have been feeling kind of lost as to what I want to do with my life. I graduated a little over two years ago from Old Dominion University with a degree in Electrical Engineering Technology. While I was going to school everyone kept telling me how I was in such a good field and I would be able to find a great job so easily when I graduated. There was just one problem with that, I hated what I was studying. I didn't always hate it. Well, I guess I should say it just wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I may have been slightly mislead as to what an Electrical Engineering Technology degree is. I guess I was expecting it to involve computers more and old circuit boards with massive outdated components less. Anyway, I didn't enjoy it enough to actually seek out a job in that field when I graduated. I hate to say it, but right now I feel like going to college was a huge waste of my time. I have heard so many times that as long as you have a degree of some sort you will be ahead of the game. This hasn't proven to be true so far. Maybe the economy is just too bad right now, maybe I haven't tried hard enough, but either way I have yet to have my degree open any doors.
So here it is, two years later, and I have yet to find steady work. I've done a few computer jobs here and there, but haven't found anything I feel like I could be happy doing for the rest of my life. I have been asked many times what I would do if I could do anything at all with my life. Every time I stop and try and give this question some serious thought. No matter what new crazy idea may be floating through my head at the time I always seem to hover around the desire to be a writer. This surprises people because I have been so technology focused my entire life. "Oh, he works with computers" has been the best way to describe me for quite a while. I really am serious when I say I want to write though. I don't even care what I write, I just want to get stories out there. Ideas swim through my brain every day, but I guess I have either lacked the motivation or belief in myself to get them out. Perhaps this blog will be the first step toward my writing career.
I can't tell you what to expect from this blog but I hope that at least some of my ramblings will be entertaining to someone. I highly doubt every post will be a look into my life like this one. Perhaps tomorrow I will write about my adventures in the World of Warcraft or maybe about the squirrel in my ceiling. Who knows?
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