LoniHead
02-03-2005, 01:00 AM
Like many of you reading this, I too find myself in the middle of a quaterlife crisis. My feelings of confusion and self doubt have increased over the last few months during our nation's political process. This is in no way politically motivated (keep my opinions to myself) I'll explain....
Since I was young I have held a deep interest in our nations political process, looked up to many of our nation's speakers, and always stayed informed as what my favorite party was doing. I Think this all started when my mother took me to see then President Regan speak at a local community college when I was a kid. In school as a youngster, I impressed my fellow students and teachers alike with my understanding of current affairs and our nation's political process. Although I never was involved in student senate throughout any of my educational years, I always had dreams of one day working in the Congress (probably like many kids dream of being a baseball or football player) or at least make a career in someway within our nations political system.
In high school I devoted time to help with local campaings and was a Poll Watcher at the 96 election. I remember my debate class senior year of highscool. I would prepare for hours because we were allowed to debate on various political topics. I of course would take a side that I strongly believed in and took a great amount of pride in preparing myself for the debate. While some students dreaded this class, I loved it, loved the opportunity to get infront of a class and just drive home my convictions.......
What really got me thinking is when I looked back at some old year books the other day and I read a number of quotes from ex-classmates, "See you in Congress some day," "Dont become a crooked congressman", "You'll make a great president someday" obviously not all serious, but people could see what drove me, what my passions were, and what I enjoyed doing.
Then the weirdest thing happend (And im only just realizing this now) when I went away to college. I thought, hey, I cant study Political Science, what am I going to do with that? Thats only for people who want to practice Law, etc.....dont know where I came up with these crazy ideas. Instead I studied business, and by the way, there is nothing wrong with being a business major. But I guess I just assumed my father has been a life long business man, listened to him maybe a bit too much, thought I couldnt make much money being a Political Science major.....where I got these ideas, I still dont know. I walked away from something I had a passion for my whole life, and for what reason I still dont know.
So I went through college, finished my BA degree, never really put much thought into what I would do following school, just thought I would figure it our eventually. Well my first job out of college was an entry level position in an industry did not intrest me at all. Ended working there, went back for my MBA in marketing this time around.....finished that....and Im right back to square one. I dont know what I want to do. Still figuring I need to go grab a sales job and climb the corporate latter.....but this is something I never invisioned for myself.....and im stuck asking myself, what happened????
What made me go this route when It was clear for so long where my heart and motivations where?? I dont understand how I got here. Ok yes I have two college degrees now from two good private schools, but its like what happened, and this is all just hitting me right now. If I could rewind time and start freshman year over, I would do thing so differently, and I know we many of us probably say that. But its like where do I go now? I know where my heart is, but i've but so much time and not to mention $$ into getting the degrees I have. I know many of you have the same problem....doubting your decisions, why did I go this route etc....but how do you deal with it?
Im 26 now, obviously not old by any means, but still the clock is ticking....I think all the time, wow what kind of position in the business world would be the best fit, and I struggle over and over again to find the answer to that question. I guess I feel like Ive wasted nothing but time. I should have followed my passions, now its too late to go back and start my degree over again. Perhaps I listened to too many other people, and not myself.
I just the other day subscribed to a Washington DC job board that lists various job openings in the US Congress, Senate, White House, etc...
and noticed that all these positions want "Hill Experience" or experience in this or that, everything that I have nothing of.
Anyway, I think I just needed to write my thoughts down and to share them. I dont know what direction im going to go, its just hard to look back at the last 8 years of work/undergraduate/graduate education and get this feeling that I almost wasted my time. Pursuing a degree just to have a degree....nothing I really had an interest in, just need to get my degree....then get a step ahead, get my MBA so maybe one day I will get that nice promotion over the next guy.......but my passions and interests are somewhere else.......anyway thanks for listening......maybe some of you have similar story to tell, and if so, how did you cope, what did you do, etc.
Anyway, gotta watch a recap of tonight's political happenings in Washington! Thanks to those who made it through my rant...... :frustrate
Since I was young I have held a deep interest in our nations political process, looked up to many of our nation's speakers, and always stayed informed as what my favorite party was doing. I Think this all started when my mother took me to see then President Regan speak at a local community college when I was a kid. In school as a youngster, I impressed my fellow students and teachers alike with my understanding of current affairs and our nation's political process. Although I never was involved in student senate throughout any of my educational years, I always had dreams of one day working in the Congress (probably like many kids dream of being a baseball or football player) or at least make a career in someway within our nations political system.
In high school I devoted time to help with local campaings and was a Poll Watcher at the 96 election. I remember my debate class senior year of highscool. I would prepare for hours because we were allowed to debate on various political topics. I of course would take a side that I strongly believed in and took a great amount of pride in preparing myself for the debate. While some students dreaded this class, I loved it, loved the opportunity to get infront of a class and just drive home my convictions.......
What really got me thinking is when I looked back at some old year books the other day and I read a number of quotes from ex-classmates, "See you in Congress some day," "Dont become a crooked congressman", "You'll make a great president someday" obviously not all serious, but people could see what drove me, what my passions were, and what I enjoyed doing.
Then the weirdest thing happend (And im only just realizing this now) when I went away to college. I thought, hey, I cant study Political Science, what am I going to do with that? Thats only for people who want to practice Law, etc.....dont know where I came up with these crazy ideas. Instead I studied business, and by the way, there is nothing wrong with being a business major. But I guess I just assumed my father has been a life long business man, listened to him maybe a bit too much, thought I couldnt make much money being a Political Science major.....where I got these ideas, I still dont know. I walked away from something I had a passion for my whole life, and for what reason I still dont know.
So I went through college, finished my BA degree, never really put much thought into what I would do following school, just thought I would figure it our eventually. Well my first job out of college was an entry level position in an industry did not intrest me at all. Ended working there, went back for my MBA in marketing this time around.....finished that....and Im right back to square one. I dont know what I want to do. Still figuring I need to go grab a sales job and climb the corporate latter.....but this is something I never invisioned for myself.....and im stuck asking myself, what happened????
What made me go this route when It was clear for so long where my heart and motivations where?? I dont understand how I got here. Ok yes I have two college degrees now from two good private schools, but its like what happened, and this is all just hitting me right now. If I could rewind time and start freshman year over, I would do thing so differently, and I know we many of us probably say that. But its like where do I go now? I know where my heart is, but i've but so much time and not to mention $$ into getting the degrees I have. I know many of you have the same problem....doubting your decisions, why did I go this route etc....but how do you deal with it?
Im 26 now, obviously not old by any means, but still the clock is ticking....I think all the time, wow what kind of position in the business world would be the best fit, and I struggle over and over again to find the answer to that question. I guess I feel like Ive wasted nothing but time. I should have followed my passions, now its too late to go back and start my degree over again. Perhaps I listened to too many other people, and not myself.
I just the other day subscribed to a Washington DC job board that lists various job openings in the US Congress, Senate, White House, etc...
and noticed that all these positions want "Hill Experience" or experience in this or that, everything that I have nothing of.
Anyway, I think I just needed to write my thoughts down and to share them. I dont know what direction im going to go, its just hard to look back at the last 8 years of work/undergraduate/graduate education and get this feeling that I almost wasted my time. Pursuing a degree just to have a degree....nothing I really had an interest in, just need to get my degree....then get a step ahead, get my MBA so maybe one day I will get that nice promotion over the next guy.......but my passions and interests are somewhere else.......anyway thanks for listening......maybe some of you have similar story to tell, and if so, how did you cope, what did you do, etc.
Anyway, gotta watch a recap of tonight's political happenings in Washington! Thanks to those who made it through my rant...... :frustrate