A little about me and what I've learned

Since the title of my blog site (is that even the right term???) is Life and Randomness I thought it would be a good idea to start with the Life part rather than the Randomness so I don't scare anyone right away. Of course if you're reading this and know me then you've been immunized to my randomness and nothing should scare you!!!

My life...wow where to begin...how did everything I've done lead me to where I am right now? I come from a military family, my father was in the Coast Guard and now teaches at UConn Avery Point. We moved at least five times, six if you count the move when he retired, literally all across the country- Virginia to Louisiana back to Virginia to Hawai'i to Connecticut (more than one place that I remember in a couple of these states). Since then I've gotten the count up to about fifteen and added Maine and Rhode Island to the states I've lived in. To be perfectly honest I'm sick of moving and am planning on two more moves- one when we have children and they're old enough we're going to move into the Norwich school district then either a nursing home or the grave.

What did I learn from all this moving? I've learned that I love to travel, that I can fit in pretty much anywhere and that a smile and a few kind words can be the start of a lifelong friendship. I've learned to try foods at least once (unless it's something off Bizarre Foods), that taking back roads can make a dull trip interesting and exciting and that, against all odds after just having lived in Hawai'i that I love New England and that it is my true home. I've learned that a house is only a house but anywhere that love lives is a home. I've learned that I want to impart my love for travel and exploring in what child or children we will have and believe I can do that without having to move all over the country to do it. I've learned that as much as I resented moving when I was younger it helped me grow and become a large part of the person I am today.

What I've done for work has impacted me greatly also. I started off working, in a way, in Virginia in the early 80s at the stables where I had a horse we rented, Cotton Candy, although we all called her CC. After that I started getting paid occasionally as a French horn player in high school as a member of the Silver Cornet Band. The summer after my senior year I sold Cutco Cutlery- my first venture into any kind of sales. Little did I know this would be something that I would do for the next sixteen years, and at times I do wonder how things would have been different if I'd had a different job that summer. The next summer (1991) I started as a stocker at Navy Exchange New London, making $4.99 an hour- and that wasn't bad back then!!! I stuck with it part time, vacations and holidays, for the next year and did it full time that summer. Fall of that year I realized the career I thought I wanted in music education wasn't what I wanted to do so I kept at it with the Navy Exchange. In 1994 I went through a few major life changes and realized I wanted to do something with this job. I started to apply myself and learn everything I could and, in the fall of 1996, my efforts were rewarded when I got the position of store manager for Navy Exchange Winter Harbor, one of the smallest stores in the district but in what I would realize later was (the base closed and is no more) in probably the most beautiful place I've ever lived. Two years later I left, didn't work for a month then went through a series of jobs- a boat parts company, Walgreens, OfficeMax, PayHalf (a discount clothing store), Old Navy Outlet, Cascade Electronics (in Mohegan Sun casino), Best Buy, Tweeter (may it rest in peace and am I glad I got out of there when I did!!!), RadioShack, Volkswagen of Old Saybrook (for one month and I sold exactly one NEW car, I was NOT a used car salesman!!!) and finally where I am, Cox Communications.

What did I learn from all these experiences? I learned that I can sell pretty much anything to anyone. I learned that I love helping people and getting to know them, even if it's only a short time in their house. I learned that I'd rather sell things that people NEED rather than things they WANT- I felt better after a day of work knowing that I had met someone's needs rather than possibly having oversold them on something they might not have been able to afford. I learned that I can lead and teach people but that I'd rather be doing the work myself. I learned that I need time away from work and that the time that, at times, I feel was wasted in retail has made me appreciate the job I have and the company I work for more than I ever thought possible. I learned that making more money doesn't help when you hate what you do, and that's where I ended up with retail, and that I am very lucky to love what I do and am making more than I ever have in my life while doing it.

Where am I in life right now? I am married to a wonderful woman and we are going through hell trying to get our family started. We have 2 dogs, 2 cats, are both in good jobs that we enjoy, have a wonderful home and life is pretty good overall right now. At the moment my wife is shaking her head over how long I've been typing; I suppose I should stop now because this is getting a bit long.

I think I'll try writing on different topics as well as updates on how we are and what we're doing. This seems like it will be a good outlet for me to let my thoughts flow both about the past and things for the future. Goodnight for now...