Trapped

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry

Good words to live by I say, especially for me.

When I quit grad school and began looking for a job I turned down this one job as a counselor in Oakland. Basically my job would have of consisted of hanging out with inner city youth kids all day and being a positive role model. That was it. I turned it down because it only paid $13 an hour, but I often think back on how different my life would be now if I took that job. Of course I had bills to pay and college loans to pay back and that greatly weighed my decision on turning it down, but what a great job that would have been.

I was actually pursuing my Masters in Counseling because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of troubled youth. But I had some personal problems (I was still a troubled youth) and one thing led to another and I ended up quitting. Who knows what would have happened if I took that job. Maybe I would have risen in the ranks and now work as a Director of the youth center, maybe would have gotten sick of the kids, hated the job and ended up leaving anyway. Either way it doesn't matter. I think I am in a good place right now, have a great job and getting a free education. After I finish my MBA, maybe doors will open for me to get a job in a more meaningful company where I really feel like I am making more of an impact in people's lives.

This leads me to my next point. I just watched The Devil Wears Prada last night. I know like a couple years too late. But I really enjoyed the movie. Mary thought it was funny that I liked it, maybe because it was a little femme. But I really liked the message of the movie, how the main character Andy walks away from a life of glamour, staying true to herself and keeping her integrity. It has a very Christ like message, walking the narrow road that only a few will choose to travel.

I think we can all relate because we all sell our soul to the Devil a little bit, even if we want to admit or not. Life changes us, mostly for the worse I think. As we get a couple years of work under our belt we all become a little jaded and more narrow minded. We get trapped in this consumer culture and get defined by the possessions we accumulate. And I do mean trapped in the literal sense, because it's almost impossible to walk away from this world once you get immersed. It's not like you can just walk away from a mortgage payment. Or can you? People often get stuck in a job they hate because they don't want to give up the lifestyle they have become accustomed to.