#152 — Married To Your Job
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I’m ashamed to admit it, but in college I played the field — a lot — with many different majors. At first I was young and idealistic and thought my future lay in Computer Engineering. That dream soured when I discovered that Computer Engineers had to understand complicated mathematics like trigonometry, calculus, and advanced bistromathics. As it turns out, I am as well-adapted to numerical integration as giraffes are to flight.
I had to find a new, less math-intensive field of study. My fancy turned toward English Literature, but my father considered it an improper match. He pointed out that he had yet to see a want ad reading, “English major sought for serious leadership opportunity. Excellent benefits. Pay commensurate with experience. Non-smoker preferred. Must own boat.”
In short order I courted and abandoned several majors including accounting (the math thing again), journalism (they expected me to produce written documents on schedule and that so wasn’t me), exercise science (sweating for living also wasn’t me), business management (more math) and Political Science (which turned out to be a sneaky, dishonest name for “Pre-law”). After a while, I settled for Elementary Education.
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Like this excerpt? Want the whole story? Listen to the audio version by clicking the ‘Play’ button at the top of this post. If you’d rather read it, you can find the full text at http://myfavoriteshortcomings.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/married-to-your-job/
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Notes:
- Thanks the #followfriday recommendation from:
http://twitter.com/robertobarreiro - Thanks, also, to Alex for his catch on the duplicated feeds. You can find Alex and his podcast at:
http://www.newforestpodcast.co.uk - Lots of great content over at CleanCasts.com:
http://www.cleancasts.com - I greatly appreciate the promotion by the Future Traditions podcast:
http://www.futuretraditions.com/ - Technorama is coming back! Get all the relevant details at:
http://www.chuckchat.com - The joke about Cap’n Billy was a nod to humorist and author Tim Bete. Check out his book on Pirate Parenting at:
http://www.timbete.com/ - And, finally, check out Airship Diaries … my son’s audio-drama mini-serial at:
http://airshipdiaries.libsyn.com
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This one really hits home for me because I have spent the last few years working contract jobs. Even though the job title was similar, I still had to make a relationship with the new job and “meet the family” (my new colleagues). Sooner or later, the contract ends and you are back “playing the field” again. Sometimes, it’ like I never left the Navy. LOL
You gave us another good one, Kevin. I especially dug the Hitchhiker’s Guide reference.
Thanks Shane. I’m glad you enjoyed it and that it rang true for you! (And, since you’re a vet, thanks for your service!)