it's the end of the year as we know it

mood: sleepy but rested?
music: "it's the end of the world as we know it" Great Big Sea cover

... and I feel fine.

Wow, how time flies by. I've been working at the local Whole Foods for more than seven (!) months now, and I can't believe I'm still surviving, but mostly I can't believe I'm still in the same job. By now I'd have thought that I would be somewhere else (a big pharma corp or a soul-sucking office, perhaps), but nope, I'm still here.

And still a cashier. Be that as it may, I'm told I'm actually a good cashier: people look for me when they check out, I get rave reviews, I'm due for a raise, and I'm getting promoted to full-time status soon. (Besides, I think everyone has had a stint in retail at some point in their lives; I consider it a rite of passage, or a payment of dues.) And I've never really appreciated having benefits until I started working. It started with their 401(k) on day one, then paid time off, and now health/dental/vision insurance! I'll still be covered under my parents' insurance until I'm 26 years of age (thanks Obamacare!), but it's good to have something I can fall back on and call my own; more importantly, it's a step closer to self-reliance and self-subsistence. I guess this is what crawling into adulthood feels like.

And still in debt. Hoo boy, am I still in debt. I'm current with my federal loans, but the privates still hurt, as I struggle to play catch-up on owed payments. And the collectors call multiple times every day; I'm sure that my parents have an idea of what's going on, but it remains unspoken. And I'm sure we're not the only family who refuses to pick up calls solely based on caller ID, where any unrecognized or 800 number is ignored or hung up on; the thinking behind this is that they're mostly robocalls and telemarketers anyway. But back to the debts. I know my credit scores are laughably in the shitter, so I don't even bother to check them. And I don't anticipate having to take out any future loans or buy any cars/houses/yachts/engagement rings/etc any time soon, so I have ample time to be on my best behavior and diligently work to pay it all back in a timely fashion so my credit scores can recuperate. Which could take until my early 30's, but I'm actually okay with that as long as things don't change for the worse.

As the end of the year and, allegedly, the end of days, draws near, I think it's time for a status check, re-evaluation of goals, and some soul-searching. I'm doing rather well at my job, and the higher-ups know it, so as long as I keep it up, I should continue to be more okay. In terms of my career, I'm building up a valuable work history with a reputable company, with a desirable skill-set of (mostly) soft skills, which should get favorable consideration for any customer-service jobs in the future. Optimistically, with the skills and experience I have now, I would have only minimal trouble getting an office or clerk-type job somewhere.

However, looking to the future, I don't see myself working as a secretary for the rest of my days. So instead, the two career paths I am seriously considering now are IT/helpdesk work and landscape/horticultural work. And of those two, IT definitely has more promise, and more cash in the short and long run. So for the new year, my plans are as follows.

1. Schedule the A+ certification exams about the end of March, giving me a good two to three months to study.
2. Take and pass the A+ certification exams. Ides of March be damned.
3. Apply for Tier 1 helpdesk positions.
4. Get a 50% raise at my current job in the next month.
5. Re-acquaint myself with the computer world in my spare time. Moore's Law be damned.
6. Work on building a computer for the family from parts.
7. Re-teach myself Mandarin Chinese, or at least teach myself to read, speak, and listen. Do this by going through the book a little bit per day, and immersion via (Cantonese) AM radio and (Mandarin) Internet radio.
8. Explore the possibility of being an EMT. Go to the volunteer ambulance corps in early January during their membership drive, and see if I can afford the time.
9. Seriously explore the possibility of going back to school for IT or horticulture. Inquire at the local community college. See what financial aid is available. See what they can do for me and what I must do for them.
10. Explore the possibility of volunteering my computer skills at a local nonprofit. Build experience, a loyal clientele who can vouch for me, and show future employers that I care.

and lastly...

11. Get back into shape. Currently, I weigh 190lb. (Thanks a bunch, holiday eating season!) Get down to 180lb by February, and 160lb by May. Accomplish with a combination of running on the treadmill and body weight exercises.
12. Seriously consider enlisting in the Navy or the Air Force. Meet their physical readiness standards by the end of June.

Whew!

As one of my customers told me, this whole "end of the world" business is not really the Apocalypse or the literal end of existence, but just the end of the world as we know it. To be sure, things will definitely change, and from the looks of 2011, 2012 will be an interesting year. Upheavals. Upsets. Toppling of regimes. Governments in flux or threatening flux. Plenty of failures. And maybe the end of days, as many before us have predicted. But whatever will happen, I'll still be here, still keepin' on keepin' on, still in debt, and so will everyone else. Whatever the change, come what may.