I wont ask you where you're goin'.
I wont ask you where you been.
I know after a million times you get sick of my lines,
but I just wanna see you safe again.
I know that just now I aint been showin,
the kind of love you know that I can.
So gimmie a little while and you'll be knowin,
that your good lovin baby is back on top again.
Hopefully it occurs to me that there's one thing that I cant stand.
That's the thought of one single day,
that your head ain't in my hand.
Always hoped you'd be showin,
and now you've shown as much as you can.
But after each time im still glowin
with a good lovin smile that's yours until the end.
Hopefully it occurs to me that there's one thing that I cant stand.
That's the thought of one single day,
that your head ain't in my hand.
- My Morning Jacket, "Hopefully"
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
The True Meaning of Nightcrawling
This blog is called "Nightcrawling" for a reason.
It's designed to be a digital sanctum for ideas that pop into my head at the wee hours of the night. Then it becomes Internet food.
However, I honestly can't recall a time when I actually came on here to do exactly that. Instead, I would blog when I was on campus during the afternoon and bored out of my mind, or during class and bored out of my mind. The sun was always up.
Well, for what appears to be its first instance, I'm blogging at night.
And it's very late. 2:15 in the morning to be exact. Not the least bit sleepy. But so much on my mind.
So here it is. A collective investment of late-night ramblings, just as I had always intended.
For those of you on the Gregorian system, it's mid-to-late April, and I'm closing on my final weeks of the semester. It's going to be a rough last few weeks; two papers to write, then the dreaded final exams. So I'll be constructing a shantytown in the UGA Library, preferably on the fourth floor where no one tends to study, and I can take breaks by playing Age of Empires II (1998, Windows 95 minimum requirement) without being judged.
I've been a bit of a slacker this semester, so I guess it's alright to put some effort into these last few weeks. I told myself I'd stop procrastinating, but I kept putting it off.
Of course, my reward for finishing the semester will be more classes, as I'm taking summer classes. Two, to be exact; one in May (JOUR 3510: News Editing and Makeup) and one in June (HIST 3030: History of Canada. Yes, UGA really does offer this class).
July is going to feel so wonderful. For once in my life, I'm going to put in effort into not giving a damn about anything for that entire month.
Until then, I work hard.
Mitch
It's designed to be a digital sanctum for ideas that pop into my head at the wee hours of the night. Then it becomes Internet food.
However, I honestly can't recall a time when I actually came on here to do exactly that. Instead, I would blog when I was on campus during the afternoon and bored out of my mind, or during class and bored out of my mind. The sun was always up.
Well, for what appears to be its first instance, I'm blogging at night.
And it's very late. 2:15 in the morning to be exact. Not the least bit sleepy. But so much on my mind.
So here it is. A collective investment of late-night ramblings, just as I had always intended.
For those of you on the Gregorian system, it's mid-to-late April, and I'm closing on my final weeks of the semester. It's going to be a rough last few weeks; two papers to write, then the dreaded final exams. So I'll be constructing a shantytown in the UGA Library, preferably on the fourth floor where no one tends to study, and I can take breaks by playing Age of Empires II (1998, Windows 95 minimum requirement) without being judged.
I've been a bit of a slacker this semester, so I guess it's alright to put some effort into these last few weeks. I told myself I'd stop procrastinating, but I kept putting it off.
Of course, my reward for finishing the semester will be more classes, as I'm taking summer classes. Two, to be exact; one in May (JOUR 3510: News Editing and Makeup) and one in June (HIST 3030: History of Canada. Yes, UGA really does offer this class).
July is going to feel so wonderful. For once in my life, I'm going to put in effort into not giving a damn about anything for that entire month.
Until then, I work hard.
Mitch
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Open Road
Some people have the luxury of knowing exactly where their life is headed.
They have all the logistics sorted out. When they'll finish school, if they'll go to grad school, where they'll work, a list of employers they have done internships with and will likely hire them upon completion of their education, etc.
They have already started their 401k. They're in school and already work in their field. They have stocks. They have connections. They're involved. They're already seeing the money they'll make in their career of choice. They know exactly what they'll be doing five years from now.
They're set.
Others don't get that luxury. They haven't gotten that chance to work in their field. They work a part-time job that simply pays the rent and bills. They don't have a lot of connections. They don't know what they'll be doing five years from now. They're free agents to the work world.
Not necessarily "unfit" for the real world. Just taking life as it comes.
I'm one of these people, and I don't know whether or not I should be scared.
Ok, so I'm slightly engaged in my career field. I'm definitely interested in my education; I realize I can't get anywhere, let alone a job, without finishing up my undergrad.
But the truth is, despite the fact that I'll leave this school with a degree from a very respective Journalism school, there's a solid chance I won't be working in journalism.
When I graduate next year, I won't have a list of connections to call up for employment. I won't have a ton of work experience in my field (other than the 180-something bylines I have from working at The Times in Gainesville). I will basically apply for any full-time job that will pay for me to live and support an eventual family.
I've never been a follower of the concept that money buys happiness. I'm not chasing a big corporate president job in a big city. I've always told myself I'd be happy living a middle-class, white American life in the suburbs, with enough to have a nice place to raise a family.
Is it wrong to see life this way? Is it wrong for me to assume there's a chance that my college degree will not reflect the career I will eventually have?
I feel like I could be anything after college. I could go into police academy, a fire department, or another government service. Or even be a full-time employee for a private company, heck, even retail.
I'm not sure if this is the mindset I'm supposed to have. But I need to remain realistic. There's a very slim chance I'll end a hockey writer for TSN or a football writer for ESPN. Those opportunities don't come often.
The mindset I keep: I just need a job someday that will allow me to live. That's all.
They have all the logistics sorted out. When they'll finish school, if they'll go to grad school, where they'll work, a list of employers they have done internships with and will likely hire them upon completion of their education, etc.
They have already started their 401k. They're in school and already work in their field. They have stocks. They have connections. They're involved. They're already seeing the money they'll make in their career of choice. They know exactly what they'll be doing five years from now.
They're set.
Others don't get that luxury. They haven't gotten that chance to work in their field. They work a part-time job that simply pays the rent and bills. They don't have a lot of connections. They don't know what they'll be doing five years from now. They're free agents to the work world.
Not necessarily "unfit" for the real world. Just taking life as it comes.
I'm one of these people, and I don't know whether or not I should be scared.
Ok, so I'm slightly engaged in my career field. I'm definitely interested in my education; I realize I can't get anywhere, let alone a job, without finishing up my undergrad.
But the truth is, despite the fact that I'll leave this school with a degree from a very respective Journalism school, there's a solid chance I won't be working in journalism.
When I graduate next year, I won't have a list of connections to call up for employment. I won't have a ton of work experience in my field (other than the 180-something bylines I have from working at The Times in Gainesville). I will basically apply for any full-time job that will pay for me to live and support an eventual family.
I've never been a follower of the concept that money buys happiness. I'm not chasing a big corporate president job in a big city. I've always told myself I'd be happy living a middle-class, white American life in the suburbs, with enough to have a nice place to raise a family.
Is it wrong to see life this way? Is it wrong for me to assume there's a chance that my college degree will not reflect the career I will eventually have?
I feel like I could be anything after college. I could go into police academy, a fire department, or another government service. Or even be a full-time employee for a private company, heck, even retail.
I'm not sure if this is the mindset I'm supposed to have. But I need to remain realistic. There's a very slim chance I'll end a hockey writer for TSN or a football writer for ESPN. Those opportunities don't come often.
The mindset I keep: I just need a job someday that will allow me to live. That's all.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Straightening Up
For the first in what seems like forever, I feel like I actually have my shit in order.
For most of my adult life, I haven't been quite sure where I'm headed and how I'll do it. Nowadays, in academia, it's stressed to begin getting professional experience and knowing exactly what you're going to do after college and when you'll get it before you graduate. For me, I've always known my major, and have known what I need to graduate, but I had no idea what my plan of study would include, or when I'd actually get my degree. I was a headache for advisors.
But today, I was looking at my credits, and I realized that I had entire plan of action for the rest of my college career. I knew exactly what classes I need to take, and finally, it hit me - I knew when I was going to graduate.
Of course, my advisor set an arranged date for me last semster - December of 2011. I was ok with that, until I saw that the last semester consisted of six hours. That's it. Six hours. Two classes.
I was really going to wait around an entire Fall semester JUST to take SIX hours?
That's when I realized that it wasn't worth the money to take more classes and be stuck in school. Now at year four, I want to get out of here. It's been fun, and has been quite an experience, but it's time to get on with life. That Fall, I could be working full-time and doing my own thing (finally!)
And that's when I decided to stay in Athens for the summer...and take classes!
Come May, I won't be sitting around the house like I used to when I attend Gainesville College. I'm taking full initiative and requesting a POD (Permission of Department) to take my News Editing class - A graduation requirement. There's one of those classes out of the way.
When June rolls around, I'm doing my country proud, and taking History of Canada. Since I've never really taken the time to learn the history of my birth nation, I see this as an interesting opportunity to identify more with where I come from. And I get upper-division elective credit. Huzzah!
That also brings me to the fact that I ditched my certificate in New Media and picked up a minor in History. That also speeds up the graduation process.
With both of those classes out of the way, There's less classes I need to take in order to graduate, and if all goes well with scheduling, I'll be out here May of next year. Exactly five years of college. Could be worse.
Chances are I won't be able to do an internship before I'm done, which I realize is not wise, but I like to see my year and a half with The Times as an internship in itself. I'm not too worried. I'm well aware that I know how to write, and I already have one publication that backs me on that statement.
Of course, my advisor could totally butcher this plan when I get advised in a little over two weeks. But I'll work with her. She's a nice lady.
Also, if I make all A's this semester, my GPA is back over the 3.0 hump, which means I don't pay a dime for college (for you out-of-staters, Georgia's HOPE scholarship covers 100% of a student's tuition at any in-state institution, as long as they have a GPA over 3.0). Incentive to do well.
As for outside the classroom, I hit a bump in the road that I was afraid would change all of my academic plans. Because I dropped my New Media class, I'm only taking 10 hours this semester - part-time status. As a result, I fell off my father's health insurance plan he had for the family. So right now I don't have health insurance.
Worried that I wouldn't be able to attend school without a health plan, I consulted my parents, who have agreed to help me find a new plan I can afford, and will cover me if I have another bout of testicular torsion (you think I'm kidding). I also got a little bit from my Grandmother, who sent me some money that will help me pay for this until I get a job.
Which brings me to the next issue. I'm still unemployed, and struggling to find work. It's hard to find a job in Athens nowadays, with the economy still a little rusty and 35,000 students in this town also looking for work. I've applied to a few places but haven't heard back. It's getting a little frustrating, but I know there are jobs out there. I'm keeping my eyes open.
The plan is to look for work now to cover my insurance and help with rent, then work as much as I can while I take my classes during the summer. With so many students heading home for the summer and not needing to work because Daddy has them covered, hours will be plentiful, and I will benefit greatly.
So that's pretty much the whole plan. I know what I need to do, and intend on doing whatever it takes to work it out.
And so you ask, what is the reward for getting all of this done?
Well, once again thanking my Grandmother, I can afford to send myself and The Lady on a Western Caribbean cruise in July. Barring denial from her father, we're setting sail for what appears to be the best vacation I've ever had. More about that in later posts (I hope).
So here's a flowchart of my upcoming life:
Find health insurance --> Get job --> Make all A's and get a B average back --> Take two summer classes --> Stay in Athens in May and June, take those classes, work and make serious money --> Live in the lap of luxury for a week on a huge boat --> Full 15-hour load in Fall semester --> Wrap up loose ends in Spring '11 semester --> Graduate --> Get the hell out of here --> Begin life. Real life (Unless I go to grad school, which is a whole different story).
There it is. This sloppily-written blog will be reference if I stray from this plan.
And off we go.
Mitch
For most of my adult life, I haven't been quite sure where I'm headed and how I'll do it. Nowadays, in academia, it's stressed to begin getting professional experience and knowing exactly what you're going to do after college and when you'll get it before you graduate. For me, I've always known my major, and have known what I need to graduate, but I had no idea what my plan of study would include, or when I'd actually get my degree. I was a headache for advisors.
But today, I was looking at my credits, and I realized that I had entire plan of action for the rest of my college career. I knew exactly what classes I need to take, and finally, it hit me - I knew when I was going to graduate.
Of course, my advisor set an arranged date for me last semster - December of 2011. I was ok with that, until I saw that the last semester consisted of six hours. That's it. Six hours. Two classes.
I was really going to wait around an entire Fall semester JUST to take SIX hours?
That's when I realized that it wasn't worth the money to take more classes and be stuck in school. Now at year four, I want to get out of here. It's been fun, and has been quite an experience, but it's time to get on with life. That Fall, I could be working full-time and doing my own thing (finally!)
And that's when I decided to stay in Athens for the summer...and take classes!
Come May, I won't be sitting around the house like I used to when I attend Gainesville College. I'm taking full initiative and requesting a POD (Permission of Department) to take my News Editing class - A graduation requirement. There's one of those classes out of the way.
When June rolls around, I'm doing my country proud, and taking History of Canada. Since I've never really taken the time to learn the history of my birth nation, I see this as an interesting opportunity to identify more with where I come from. And I get upper-division elective credit. Huzzah!
That also brings me to the fact that I ditched my certificate in New Media and picked up a minor in History. That also speeds up the graduation process.
With both of those classes out of the way, There's less classes I need to take in order to graduate, and if all goes well with scheduling, I'll be out here May of next year. Exactly five years of college. Could be worse.
Chances are I won't be able to do an internship before I'm done, which I realize is not wise, but I like to see my year and a half with The Times as an internship in itself. I'm not too worried. I'm well aware that I know how to write, and I already have one publication that backs me on that statement.
Of course, my advisor could totally butcher this plan when I get advised in a little over two weeks. But I'll work with her. She's a nice lady.
Also, if I make all A's this semester, my GPA is back over the 3.0 hump, which means I don't pay a dime for college (for you out-of-staters, Georgia's HOPE scholarship covers 100% of a student's tuition at any in-state institution, as long as they have a GPA over 3.0). Incentive to do well.
As for outside the classroom, I hit a bump in the road that I was afraid would change all of my academic plans. Because I dropped my New Media class, I'm only taking 10 hours this semester - part-time status. As a result, I fell off my father's health insurance plan he had for the family. So right now I don't have health insurance.
Worried that I wouldn't be able to attend school without a health plan, I consulted my parents, who have agreed to help me find a new plan I can afford, and will cover me if I have another bout of testicular torsion (you think I'm kidding). I also got a little bit from my Grandmother, who sent me some money that will help me pay for this until I get a job.
Which brings me to the next issue. I'm still unemployed, and struggling to find work. It's hard to find a job in Athens nowadays, with the economy still a little rusty and 35,000 students in this town also looking for work. I've applied to a few places but haven't heard back. It's getting a little frustrating, but I know there are jobs out there. I'm keeping my eyes open.
The plan is to look for work now to cover my insurance and help with rent, then work as much as I can while I take my classes during the summer. With so many students heading home for the summer and not needing to work because Daddy has them covered, hours will be plentiful, and I will benefit greatly.
So that's pretty much the whole plan. I know what I need to do, and intend on doing whatever it takes to work it out.
And so you ask, what is the reward for getting all of this done?
Well, once again thanking my Grandmother, I can afford to send myself and The Lady on a Western Caribbean cruise in July. Barring denial from her father, we're setting sail for what appears to be the best vacation I've ever had. More about that in later posts (I hope).
So here's a flowchart of my upcoming life:
Find health insurance --> Get job --> Make all A's and get a B average back --> Take two summer classes --> Stay in Athens in May and June, take those classes, work and make serious money --> Live in the lap of luxury for a week on a huge boat --> Full 15-hour load in Fall semester --> Wrap up loose ends in Spring '11 semester --> Graduate --> Get the hell out of here --> Begin life. Real life (Unless I go to grad school, which is a whole different story).
There it is. This sloppily-written blog will be reference if I stray from this plan.
And off we go.
Mitch
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Collective
This is my girlfriend.
She means the absolute world to me. There is no one I would rather spend a free day with. She's wonderful in all aspects.
Recently, we got into, well, I don't want to call it a fight. Maybe more of an emotional disagreement.
I sometimes struggle to believe in myself. Too many times in the past I've tried to go beyond the norm for someone I'm feel for, only to come up short.
Now I kind of feel like I'm constantly having to be the very, very best that I can for someone in all ways possible. And if I'm not, I'm going to lose them. It's happened way too many times.
I once again have a person in my life that I want to introduce to new, exciting things. Take her places. Be someone different than just another face in her life.
And when I feel that I'm not that person, I feel like I'm not doing my job to the fullest.
Being a boyfriend can be hard.
But she keeps giving me reasons to stay by her side.
She means the absolute world to me. There is no one I would rather spend a free day with. She's wonderful in all aspects.
Recently, we got into, well, I don't want to call it a fight. Maybe more of an emotional disagreement.
I sometimes struggle to believe in myself. Too many times in the past I've tried to go beyond the norm for someone I'm feel for, only to come up short.
Now I kind of feel like I'm constantly having to be the very, very best that I can for someone in all ways possible. And if I'm not, I'm going to lose them. It's happened way too many times.
I once again have a person in my life that I want to introduce to new, exciting things. Take her places. Be someone different than just another face in her life.
And when I feel that I'm not that person, I feel like I'm not doing my job to the fullest.
Being a boyfriend can be hard.
But she keeps giving me reasons to stay by her side.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Greetings from Athens (Again)
Well, I'm back in Athens.
I've been here for about a week now. It's nice to be back in the groove of things after spending most of my Christmas Break sleeping on a couch. Classes aren't too bad. News Writing, New Media Production, and two absolutely thrilling History classes. Electives. Bleh. It's a pretty straightforward goal this semester: B average. All A's would be nice, but I can't shoot for the highest stars.
It seems that the glamour of a new semester has worn off. It wasn't ever really there. I guess that's due in part with the fact that I've been doing this for four years now (no, I'm not graduating just yet). It has almost become routine at this point to assume that I'll be in school and just taking one class after another for most of the year.
Not going to lie, school is boring, and I want it to be over soon. Not complaining about the classes itself, they're fine. I suppose the desire of wanting to get out and get on with my life is slowly crawling on me. It's been fun being young, and it's been nothing short of a privilege to have the college experience I've had. Not everyone gets to attend a top-shelf J-school at a nationally-acknowledged university.
But now, at the old-man age of 21, I want to move forward. Now that I'm a legal liquid consumer, the glitz and glam of alcohol consumption has diminished, and now I see a beer as a refreshing beverage and nothing else. Parties are still fun, but not the hullabaloo of college it once was. Call me crazy, or just call me...grown up?
I'm a more relaxed person than I used to be. I don't mind it at all. I used to get angry too much. Now I barely get angry at all, at least with others. I've become more tolerant of the hardships in life. I'm coming to discover that things could be a lot worse. They're not really even that bad anyway; I have it pretty well right now.
If all goes well this year, I'll get to do some traveling. A trip planned with my parents in the summer, and another small trip with The Lady once her dad gives us the green light to head out. Change of scenery will be very much welcomed.
At least for a temporary amount of time. I still have too much here to leave behind just yet. Not that I had contemplated any concrete departing plans anyway.
In the meantime, I continue to just paddle along the ebb and flow of Athens. There's still work to be done.
Out,
Mitch
I've been here for about a week now. It's nice to be back in the groove of things after spending most of my Christmas Break sleeping on a couch. Classes aren't too bad. News Writing, New Media Production, and two absolutely thrilling History classes. Electives. Bleh. It's a pretty straightforward goal this semester: B average. All A's would be nice, but I can't shoot for the highest stars.
It seems that the glamour of a new semester has worn off. It wasn't ever really there. I guess that's due in part with the fact that I've been doing this for four years now (no, I'm not graduating just yet). It has almost become routine at this point to assume that I'll be in school and just taking one class after another for most of the year.
Not going to lie, school is boring, and I want it to be over soon. Not complaining about the classes itself, they're fine. I suppose the desire of wanting to get out and get on with my life is slowly crawling on me. It's been fun being young, and it's been nothing short of a privilege to have the college experience I've had. Not everyone gets to attend a top-shelf J-school at a nationally-acknowledged university.
But now, at the old-man age of 21, I want to move forward. Now that I'm a legal liquid consumer, the glitz and glam of alcohol consumption has diminished, and now I see a beer as a refreshing beverage and nothing else. Parties are still fun, but not the hullabaloo of college it once was. Call me crazy, or just call me...grown up?
I'm a more relaxed person than I used to be. I don't mind it at all. I used to get angry too much. Now I barely get angry at all, at least with others. I've become more tolerant of the hardships in life. I'm coming to discover that things could be a lot worse. They're not really even that bad anyway; I have it pretty well right now.
If all goes well this year, I'll get to do some traveling. A trip planned with my parents in the summer, and another small trip with The Lady once her dad gives us the green light to head out. Change of scenery will be very much welcomed.
At least for a temporary amount of time. I still have too much here to leave behind just yet. Not that I had contemplated any concrete departing plans anyway.
In the meantime, I continue to just paddle along the ebb and flow of Athens. There's still work to be done.
Out,
Mitch
Monday, January 4, 2010
First Post of 2010
This will likely be a short one, as it's super late and I'm incredibly tired. I figured it's only right that I give this blog a little love before I take off.
I also made a few changes to the layout. Thought I'd give this thing a touch of my school's colors for a sense of individuality (?), and because the default template colors I previously used were putrid.
Well, it's 2010. A whole new year, and a whole new decade (to those who agree that the decade begins on the zero year and NOT the one year). We're venturing into the thicket of the 21st century, and not a single car has taken to the sky yet. Cell phones are replacing computers, ancient sports records are being broken one by one, and the History Channel believes we only have two years left before life on Earth is completely eradicated. Better get some canned survival food.
A new year is like a your second trip to the buffet. You get a new plate, you have a variety of food to choose, and what you do to that plate is up to you. Right now, at the beginning of the year, the plate is clean, but as you add more to it, it gets messy, yet could possibly turn out better than the last trip.
And there you have it, folks. The worst analogy ever created.
Nevertheless, while 2010 offers new resolutions and goals for many, my 2010 appears to be a continuation of things I've already set out for. I'll be in school, now fully settled into UGA. I'll eventually have a new job, and I may actually take some time out of my life to start thinking about my future. My girlfriend and I began dating about halfway through December, meaning we have this whole year to make great memories. All in all, it looks to be a pretty straightforward 365 days ahead.
However, if there's one goal I would like to set for myself, it's promising myself to travel a bit in the near future. I will be seeing the Grand Canyon this summer, and plan on using some family inheritance money to have a small vacation with my girlfriend. Then it'll be time to start saving some money for the post-graduation adventure across Europe, which anyone with a desire to be educated in culture should do at some point. I'm tired of being pinned down in Northeast Georgia. Time to set sail.
For now, my only option is to set sail to my bed.
Goodnight,
Mitch
I also made a few changes to the layout. Thought I'd give this thing a touch of my school's colors for a sense of individuality (?), and because the default template colors I previously used were putrid.
Well, it's 2010. A whole new year, and a whole new decade (to those who agree that the decade begins on the zero year and NOT the one year). We're venturing into the thicket of the 21st century, and not a single car has taken to the sky yet. Cell phones are replacing computers, ancient sports records are being broken one by one, and the History Channel believes we only have two years left before life on Earth is completely eradicated. Better get some canned survival food.
A new year is like a your second trip to the buffet. You get a new plate, you have a variety of food to choose, and what you do to that plate is up to you. Right now, at the beginning of the year, the plate is clean, but as you add more to it, it gets messy, yet could possibly turn out better than the last trip.
And there you have it, folks. The worst analogy ever created.
Nevertheless, while 2010 offers new resolutions and goals for many, my 2010 appears to be a continuation of things I've already set out for. I'll be in school, now fully settled into UGA. I'll eventually have a new job, and I may actually take some time out of my life to start thinking about my future. My girlfriend and I began dating about halfway through December, meaning we have this whole year to make great memories. All in all, it looks to be a pretty straightforward 365 days ahead.
However, if there's one goal I would like to set for myself, it's promising myself to travel a bit in the near future. I will be seeing the Grand Canyon this summer, and plan on using some family inheritance money to have a small vacation with my girlfriend. Then it'll be time to start saving some money for the post-graduation adventure across Europe, which anyone with a desire to be educated in culture should do at some point. I'm tired of being pinned down in Northeast Georgia. Time to set sail.
For now, my only option is to set sail to my bed.
Goodnight,
Mitch
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