It is a number and only a number

Today seemed like a good day to write this post.

As more applications go out from me to potential/hopeful employers — some realistic, some not so much — I have been wondering when this bad trip will end. I keep hoping I’m going to wake up and know it’s a bad dream. Alas, I know it’s reality. But, I’ve been sending things out to hopefully good matches and something might come of it.

Right?

It’s likely hitting me harder knowing a few things — I recently found out a friend I hadn’t talked to in a while has been out of work nearly as long as I have, and that my unemployment will be ending by the end of the year.

That last part socks you in the face because it’s nearly impossible to get by now with that coming in. I can’t imagine continuing this job search without it. Alas, if it comes to that, I will do what I need to do to get by.

I’ll keep fighting.

Last week, I visited a trade school of sorts. Friends know what I’ve been looking at, but I’m not ready to share it all here. I’m going to fill out the financial aid forms and see what can come out of it. But this would be to fully change careers. And when I say change, I mean change.

But that could be a good thing.

Today, I creep closer to the big four-oh. Well, I creep closer to that every day. But today puts me even closer. I’ve always said age is just a number and I firmly believe that. I’ve never been big into birthdays, so this day really doesn’t mean much. The only thing I’m figuring comes with age is it hurts more the day after a softball game, a couple rounds of disc golf, a long paddle or a day of hiking.

I can deal with that.

On the flip side, I also watch friends — younger and older — doing well in this world. As they march through life, they have good jobs, families and whatever else. It’s not that I’m jealous. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. I smile knowing what people are doing.

At the same time, I think about years down the road and retirement and know so many others are successfully building toward that and I’m still trying to figure out what retirement plans are!

I look back at what happened to me when my position was cut an I do think, in the long run, I’ll be better off. Let’s face it, newspapers are hurting and it isn’t going to get better. Major papers are cutting back to three days per week. It’s an online world and many newspapers are doing that. Unfortunately, some places won’t survive that. I see companies going to universal hubs, cutting people, cutting publications and more. There’s no way I would have survived in newspapers for the rest of my career.

Still, I’m finding many people are coming out of college with these degrees. And it’s made it a tougher job market. Public relations jobs and writing jobs are getting hundreds of applications. It’s a buyer’s market, that’s for sure.

Guess that Master’s degree is looking like a waste of money right now, eh?

So now it’s getting drastic in my eyes.

I’m hoping something comes along soon. And, if not, maybe the career change might be a good thing. It would be exciting. The program takes about eight months, so I’m trying to figure out how I would afford it with finding part-time work, paying for school and all that.

Who knows.

But I’ve also realized life’s short. And with that in mind, I’m trying to start doing other things better and taking a better look on life. Recently, as I’ve  stepped on the scales, my weight is the lowest it’s been in a couple of years. My pants don’t fit well. My sweatshirts and such are fitting better. So I need to continue down that path.

In the end, something good will hopefully happen.

Simple things in life are what make you happy. A sunset. A stroll on a quiet evening. A little pro rasslin’ on the tube or the excitement of September baseball.

Simple.

This day is about some number increasing by one. But it’s just a number. Age really isn’t much when thinking about the big picture. Some people reach big numbers, some, unfortunately, don’t.

It’s just a number.

And for me, the number is only part of the big picture. One I hope has a bright look to it for the future.

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