Tonight was my last shift at PETCO.
My girlfriend made the day more special for me by restocking my fridge with milk (in response to a Tweet I made the night before lamenting my inability to find time to buy milk while working two jobs) and buying my favorite cereal (which was exactly why I wanted milk, honestly), a block of extra sharp cheddar cheese, tortillas, fresh salad, and delicious apples. Regardless, retail is NOT my forte so, even though I found a good rhythm at the store and really enjoyed my time there, I was not going to miss it.
During my shift, my girlfriend asked (via text) if I was sad. Immediately after I replied ("Not even a little"), Finger Eleven "One Thing" came on the store's audio. I have been remiss in noting all the factors that went into my leaving finance, because there were so many and the reasons for leaving outnumbered the reasons to stay, but this song played a role. What sounds like such a beautiful triumph harbors so much defeat.
My personal attachment to the song begins (and ends) with Chris Benoit. When WWE released his DVD in 2004, on the heels of his ascension to the World Title status, they concluded his biography with this song. It fit his life story immaculately, but the first time I saw it, my vicarious joy in the success that his sacrifices bore suddenly turned into a harrowing sadness; I couldn't help thinking, "now what?" His life was for one purpose and once he reached the top, what was left in life? Nowadays, when I hear the song, the tragedy of the Benoit family murders taints it with an all-encompassing melancholy.
The misplaced wisdom of the song's message wouldn't have struck me so harshly tonight, but-for my reasons for seeking employment at PETCO in the first place.
I started the Paralegal Studies Program at Phoenix College in May 2011. I quit my job of 8.5 years at Vanguard a month earlier, and I was comfortable enough that I could have completed the program without part-time employment, but it did not take long for me to realize I *needed* some income. Sitting back and watching all my savings dissipate was too much to take, so I sought part-time work.
At that point, I had two logical options. I could apply at law firms for a foot-in-the-door, or I could apply at nearby retail stores in an unrelated field. I opted the latter based on the future wisdom of what I would rather have done 10 years from now. I figured if I started a career in law immediately, then I would burn out on it sooner (or worse, I could get a souring experience). If I learned something new, as was my personal mantra in 2011, then I could look back and appreciate filling that small window of opportunity with something completely different than where I had been or where I was going.
Life isn't about one thing. Life is all things. So many people get stuck in their "one thing" and lose out on the rest. I heard the song, but I didn't like the message. I chose to make my life more than one thing. God willing, a lot more.
It was a perfect time to be reminded of my decision, so closely removed from cursing that same decision during the two months I applied for several jobs in law each week but not getting more than one isolated interview (largely because I had forgotten to attach my resume to the application).
Today, I am happily employed in a small law firm handling bankruptcy, Family Law, and civil cases simultaneously. I feel it is a golden opportunity to make a lasting career in the law field, and I cannot wait to learn whatever I can in this newest endeavor.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Favorite TV Characters
Recently I was watching Arrested Development, and I noted that if I compiled a list of my Top 20 favorite sit-com characters, then that show would probably have four of them. I haven't given too much thought to the list yet, but coming up with five of my all-time favorite characters is easy. Keep in mind, this list is strictly for live-action TV shows, and I will eliminate every show with puppets so all of The Muppets, ALF, and characters from Greg The Bunny won't clutter the list. Also, shows with "character actors" like WWE and faux-reality shows like "The Hills" are eliminated because, otherwise, Shawn Michaels and Lauren Conrad would be a given to make the list with minimal rationale.
Since I can edit posts later, these first few are in no particular ranking (alphabetical order by surname IRL).
Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman)
Arrested Development was one of the first American TV shows to rely on a cast of abject human beings with virtually no redeeming qualities. At the center of the mayhem of their selfishness and stupidity, however, was straight-man Michael Bluth as the family's voice of reason and social conscious, and Jason Bateman tops the short list of actors who are genuinely funny in a straight-man role in my opinion.
Eddie Finnerty (Kevin Corrigan)
While Grounded For Life was hardly a memorable show, the family was Catholic, so I have a bias (even if they were NOT a remarkable Catholic family). Even before Gob Bluth, Kevin Corrigan was blending stupidity with selfishness together so well as Eddie Finnerty that it was almost impossible to determine whether his lines were written to represent the character's true opinion or an excuse to further his immediate cause. Of course, the logical answer is that nothing he said was "true" because he was a fictional TV character, but that character was so expertly conniving that I still have some doubts.
Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby)
Between the saccharin families of early television and the abject lifestyles in modern television, '80s television had Cliff Huxtable, who naturally blended the traits of an ideal husband/father with those of the easily irritable man of the house. He was as fatherly as Mike Brady with moments of frustration resembling Al Bundy, creating a family sit-coms that defied generational limitations.
Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox)
The initial marketing pitch behind Family Ties was "cool parents, lame kids," and over-achiever Alex P. Keaton fit the character so perfectly that his lamest qualities were often his best. He was often selfish, always serious, and rarely sensitive, but the writers of the show maximized his minutes and turned him into one of the most endearing TV characters of all-time, objectively and subjectively.
Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry)
The cast of Friends had to wear several hats as the term "dramedy" entered the American lexicon during the show's run. Although he fell short on drama, Chandler was versatile in his comedy because his comedic timing on punchlines was nearly flawless, and conversely, his straight-man reactions were equally effective. If I ever rank these characters by preference, then expect Chandler Bing to sit atop as #1.
Uncle Jesse (John Stamos)
The broken-family comedy Full House is the punchline of many jokes these days, but at its start, it was a strong cast and solid writing. The entire male demographic was present among down-to-Earth dad Danny Tanner, funny-and-sincere Joey Gladstone, and cool-and-carefree Jesse Katsopolis. John Stamos did more than portray his character on the show, he virtually became him (from allegedly dating his TV wife Lori Loughlin to changing the character's surname to match his own Greek ancestry).
Honorable Mention: Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), Jack Tripper (John Ritter), Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr), Darlene Conner (Sara Gilbert), Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), and (tie) Paul & Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt).
Since I can edit posts later, these first few are in no particular ranking (alphabetical order by surname IRL).
Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman)
Arrested Development was one of the first American TV shows to rely on a cast of abject human beings with virtually no redeeming qualities. At the center of the mayhem of their selfishness and stupidity, however, was straight-man Michael Bluth as the family's voice of reason and social conscious, and Jason Bateman tops the short list of actors who are genuinely funny in a straight-man role in my opinion.
Eddie Finnerty (Kevin Corrigan)
While Grounded For Life was hardly a memorable show, the family was Catholic, so I have a bias (even if they were NOT a remarkable Catholic family). Even before Gob Bluth, Kevin Corrigan was blending stupidity with selfishness together so well as Eddie Finnerty that it was almost impossible to determine whether his lines were written to represent the character's true opinion or an excuse to further his immediate cause. Of course, the logical answer is that nothing he said was "true" because he was a fictional TV character, but that character was so expertly conniving that I still have some doubts.
Cliff Huxtable (Bill Cosby)
Between the saccharin families of early television and the abject lifestyles in modern television, '80s television had Cliff Huxtable, who naturally blended the traits of an ideal husband/father with those of the easily irritable man of the house. He was as fatherly as Mike Brady with moments of frustration resembling Al Bundy, creating a family sit-coms that defied generational limitations.
Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox)
The initial marketing pitch behind Family Ties was "cool parents, lame kids," and over-achiever Alex P. Keaton fit the character so perfectly that his lamest qualities were often his best. He was often selfish, always serious, and rarely sensitive, but the writers of the show maximized his minutes and turned him into one of the most endearing TV characters of all-time, objectively and subjectively.
Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry)
The cast of Friends had to wear several hats as the term "dramedy" entered the American lexicon during the show's run. Although he fell short on drama, Chandler was versatile in his comedy because his comedic timing on punchlines was nearly flawless, and conversely, his straight-man reactions were equally effective. If I ever rank these characters by preference, then expect Chandler Bing to sit atop as #1.
Uncle Jesse (John Stamos)
The broken-family comedy Full House is the punchline of many jokes these days, but at its start, it was a strong cast and solid writing. The entire male demographic was present among down-to-Earth dad Danny Tanner, funny-and-sincere Joey Gladstone, and cool-and-carefree Jesse Katsopolis. John Stamos did more than portray his character on the show, he virtually became him (from allegedly dating his TV wife Lori Loughlin to changing the character's surname to match his own Greek ancestry).
Honorable Mention: Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), Jack Tripper (John Ritter), Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr), Darlene Conner (Sara Gilbert), Zack Morris (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), and (tie) Paul & Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser & Helen Hunt).
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