Round and Round I Go.... (part 2)

I know that hard work and determination are a couple of the ingredients needed to make it in this world and these qualities I have in great abundance. My grandmother always told me starting from a very young age that "anything worth having is worth working for” and I honestly believe that with all of my heart and for as long as I can remember I have worked my ass off for a better life. I got my first real paying job two-days after my 14th b-day and have been working pretty much non-stop ever since.

My first job was at a pet store, because at one time I thought I might want to be a veterinarian. I worked there during the school year for 4 years, and in the summer I usually worked there and as a hostess at a Mexican restaurant to pick up a little extra cash to sock away. My senior year I quit the pet store and worked at my first office job as an office assistant for a year.

Needless to say I didn’t have much of a social life and at the time it suited me just fine. I basically took it upon myself to sacrifice my care-free teen (HAHA) years to work and save for my future and to help out my family.

When I turned 18 and graduated from high school I knew my family didn't have enough money to send me to college, so I joined the Army. My job was as a military police officer and boy did they whip me into shape and brain washed my ass to love it...LOL. I spent six months in lovely Alabama then when I graduated I was sent overseas.

I spent several years traveling the world and “be[ing] all I could be” and then a couple of years ago I found myself fighting with an “army of one” in a war I did not agree with. I decided then and there that enough was enough. Although I did really enjoy my time with the military I figured there had to be something more out in the world for me. I also had this very precious child, who I hardly spent any time with, because duty always seemed to call.

When I left active duty I was happy and full of hope that I would find a great job, a stepping stone of sorts in the right direction. I also decided to buckle down and get my college education and signed up with the local community college. I was quickly put in my place and realized that I was not the only person in the job market. It took me several long months to find a real job meanwhile I was working as a gas station attendant because that was the only job I could find that paid decent and I didn't really have to do too much manual labor. I needed all the time I could get for studying in the evening. I went to my classes in the morning and then worked most evenings until well after midnight and would get up early the next morning and do it all over again.

I finally found an opening in a law firm and applied for the position. The money wasn't great, but it was more then I was making at the gas station and I figured it would give me the experience I needed since the law is the field I want to get into. I have been there ever since for 5 years now…how time flies.

Unfortunately, it is such a small firm that I think I have reached the highest point I can with them and I know very soon it will be time to move on. I am just not sure about what my next move should be and when. I keep saying I should wait until I get my degree (hopefully next year), but I am feeling so suffocated I might have to skip out earlier.

Anyway, you know how I said I feel like my life has wound up in a huge circle…well…it has figuratively and literally. You see...the kicker is just one block from my office is my old high school where I started my whole journey, so basically I have spent many years and traveled thousands of miles to end up right back where I started from...SIGH!!

Hopefully this just means I have a brand new start to make better choices...