November 10th

Yo Gusby,

I think I'm done with the angry rants for a while. Thanks for letting me vent my frustrations, though. It's nice to have someone to talk to when I feel like people are out of control.

Today, I'd like to talk to you about November 10th.

When I graduated from Dunwoody in June, I spent some time sending out resumes left and right, 5-10 per day, for an entire month. It was nearly a full-time job, hunting for work, and I didn't get a single call or email about any applications. When I realized that no one wanted me as a welder, I gave up. I stopped hunting. I stopped applying. I fell into a trench of depression, complete with nearly overwhelming feelings of self-worth, and my lack thereof. I mean, here I was, another $24,000 in debt, with a professional talent that no one wanted.

Early October turned things around for me. I re-read some books I'd forgotten about, and I decided to open myself to change. I threw wide the doors of spiritual reception and listened carefully for the response. What I heard was astounding and astonishing.

I am not your typical American worker-bee. The 9-5 cube-monkey crunch that most Americans toil through, suffering daily for something as minor as a paycheck that isn't enough... that wasn't for me. I was told, and I'm still being told, that I need to follow a different path to financial security and contentment. I was also told that I needed to stop measuring my personal value with a paycheck. It doesn't matter if I make $15,000 a year or $1,500,000 a year, so long as I treat my loved ones with kindness, respect, and fairness. Our happiness is NOT dictated by how much money we make! I am not valued only for my financial contribution to my family, but also for my love, commitment, and all of my other contributions.

I can't buy my wife fancy new shoes, or a Coach purse, but I sure as hell can put a smile on her face when she comes home from a long day. And you know what? That's actually enough for me. The term "house husband" has been thrown around a bit, and rather than be put off by it, I feel it's a compliment. I met some housewives a few weeks ago, and they were strong women, who provided a true value to their families, who deserve respect for the effort they put into their lives.

But I digress (again), 17 days ago, I was reading a book on Mayan prophecy and their Tzolkin calendar, when I was struck (and struck hard) by a feeling, a sensation that November 10th was going to be the beginning of the end of my financial worries.

This feeling has stayed with me over the past two and a half weeks, and grown in strength. The more I thought about it, the more it just felt right. Conversations with my spiritual advisory team all seemed to support and confirm my feeling. In fact, my one of my spiritual advisers talked to one of her spiritual advisers, and he talked about me! This feeling, this energy surrounding me, is large enough to impact near-strangers... which only lends more credence to it!

When I realized that today, November 10th, was going to be such a big day for my financial trouble, I stopped even the half-hearted job-hunting that I had been doing. I've spent the last few weeks preparing and getting ready, and opening myself to whatever opportunity you decide to send my way, Gusby.

This morning, I awoke to a message that said, "I saw this position and thought of you. You're quite qualified for it, and it's at a company that you trust, morally and ethically." It's not the perfect position for me, but the feeling I've been having has never seemed like it was going to be a permanent (5+ years) solution for me. It has always come across as a temporary solution. And since I now know what I need to do, and how I can earn money while I work on what I need to do, I'm positive that things are turning around.

It's a good time in my life, Gusby, and I have you (and me) to thank for it.