The times are a changin'

I don't know how many of you know this, but I've been unemployed since December 12th, 2008. I left a perfectly good job in Cheyenne, Wyoming because I was burnt out on everything that was going on in my life. I wasn't happy making $45k a year, I wasn't happy paying a mortgage, most of my friends lived over 50 miles away.

I was living a life that was very mechanical. Sure, it wasn't a job any monkey could do - you had to be a very specialized monkey - but it was a monkey's job non-the-less.

I left my home city/state to take on something new, something bigger. I moved to Portland, Oregon, went to school for a few months, got involved with a personal development company, started dating someone, separated with said person, and then continued dating her anyway. I did a lot of kung fu, and played a lot of Dystopia. I thought about life, and the world we live in - a lot. I tried to do some writing, but it never came as easy as I'd hoped. I spent just about every penny I'd earned in over 5 years at my previous job.

For the last couple of months I've been looking for a job. I signed up with a staffing agency - and after a short temp assignment - they connected me with a really great non-profit. I'm starting out at the bottom doing data entry - starting on Thursday. Another monkey's job, however, I plan on being the best monkey I can. I have no expectation of being in this position for long. In fact, I plan on moving up through the company very quickly.

In many ways, I'm excited about this. From a traditional perspective, the American identity is very tied to their occupation. I was, and still am for two more days, very happy to be unemployed. I've heard many congratulations in the last few hours, and from the traditional perspective, this is very understandable.

But there is a part of me that is not excited. In fact, it feels a bit of dread. A loss. A general feeling of malaise. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time away from the corporate world, powerfully creating my mind as the antithesis to the corporate world. As I leave this era, I have a sinking feeling that I do it for good. There is an extremely high likelihood that I will never have another break, like I just had, in this life.

For just about every future I foresee for myself, I work until I die. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I believe people should continue going until they have nothing left to go for - the worst thing I can imagine for myself is to wither away as my mind and body decay while I'm still alive - living in purgatory, waiting to die. I plan on living passionately until my old age, thus going until then is an exciting prospect.

More what I am trying to convey is that I feel a bit of mourning for the end of the age I'm coming from. This is truly the end of an era for me, and I'm very excited about the future, but I'm a little sad to see my current way of being come to an end. I'd like to acknowledge it for what it was for me - that being one of the best times in my life.

Thank you all for being a part of that. I have truly appreciated your companionship over the last year - if not longer - and I'm grateful for the time we have spent together. I have no idea how much time I will have in the coming months for Dystopia, but I only see that time waning as I get busier and busier. I'll try to say hi when I can, and I'll probably linger on the forums for quite a bit, but I expect my time with Dystopia to shift dramatically. I may not be available to make many matches or practices (if any), but I'll see what I can do.

This is not a goodbye, not yet at least, but it is a declarative statement that my involvement, with Iron Phists and Dystopia in general, is being significantly reduced. I want to wish all of you luck with whatever you are up to in your life. I hope for nothing but the best for you.

Best of luck in your future endeavors,
Station

The times are indeed changing, Station.

I congratulate you on your new job, and I hope that you will go far.

I understand what you mean when you say that you are near the end of an era in your life. I believe I am close to such an end myself. Also, just because it's an end, doesn't mean that it is bad. Everything must end eventually. Take heart and keep looking forward for a new beginning!

Once again, congratulations on your new job, and good luck with it.

Also, whenever you have the time, just send me a message and I'll come join you in some Dystopia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlUSwcuY29I&feature=related

"... and accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone - if your time to you is worth saving, then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone, 'cause...!"


In all seriousness, though, I've read through this a few times now, and I can't help but find myself rather fond of it. It really is a fantastic story, and the commentary very apt. Thank you, Station, for sharing a bit of your journey with us, and for having been (and continuing to be!) a part of our little community. I can't help but feel like I, at least, have learned a good bit from our conversations.

To remove ourselves from the expected order of things is a pretty weighty task, but I can only imagine that an experience such as your own is entirely worth it.

That said, life is a series of experiences, good and bad, mundane and extraordinary. So congratulations, not only in regards to those you are pursuing now, but those you have already taken part in. Go forth and conquer!

Wow, Station, thanks for sharing. I think a lot of people have been quitting Dystopia in the past year, and it's kind of dying down. Hopefully the 1.3 update will help bring in new noobs though. I hope everything in your life in the future goes well and that you still have time to live and such. I should start doing that as well!

By the way, keep writing. I'm still trying to master the craft, and chi has some pretty awesome short stories, too. We have a pretty good writing group in FePh. Also, go to oneword.com everyday and write about one word. It's really fun!

Hope your journey goes well.

Congrats and good luck Station

Oh, and hello FePh forums.

Thanks everyone for your kind words :-D I am really touched by what you say.

I was chatting a bit with people in Dys tonight, and I think I'd like to start inviting people to come to the Iron Phists forums. I'd like to see a strong community (which we already have) have a home that isn't completely related to the game Dys, if you are alright with this of course.

Independent of what you'd like to see, I invited BigToe onto our forums. He is all-around awesome to me, has been around Dystopia for a long-time, and he lives in Hawaii.

BigToeCommando wrote:

Oh, and hello FePh forums.

Welcome to the FePh forums! :-D

BigToeCommando wrote:

Oh, and hello FePh forums.

Welcome to the FePh forums! :-D[/quote]

Oh, hai!

Welcome to the forums!

That was a really enjoyable read, thank you Station! It isn't often that people provide such a clean window into their lives, even with mechanisms to encourage that, like facebook. People tend to write more about mundane things like what they had for breakfast rather than the things that are really important.

I think I can relate to how you feel because I had a very similar time in my life. After working several decent but lackluster jobs, I spent almost a year blissfully unemployed. Then I moved across the country to pursue my dreams and focus on my career. Right before I left I felt probably the same way you feel, a longing for the previous life to continue but a curiosity and excitement for what is to come.