**Three Ways to Take It is Back on January 4th!**
It’s the last week of the year before we head into 2010. Even thinking of it being the end of the 2000s in a few days makes me feel kind of old. I know that I had to take some time to reflect not only on the past year, but the past 10 years or so in my life. According to the grown-grown folks, I’m still considered “a baby”. I guess that applies more specifically to where I am in my career and in terms of age compared to my much older siblings. But beyond what the grown-grown say, I know that the last 10 years have been absolutely critical for me as I went through some of the best and endured some of the worst times of my life. Thinking about where I was freshman year of high school and senior year vs. being a college freshman and senior all lead me to think of different things that were going on. I still talk about the things that were good with the fellas, family, and other friends. Those things that were bad I don’t talk about often, but I know that they have all helped shaped me into the Mr. Sexy person that’s penning this here post.
When I was graduating from my little Catholic middle school and graduating from my military high school, I never envisioned that I’d be doing the job that I’m doing today. Sh*t, I never even thought that I’d become a blogger that writes for an award-winning relationship blog and also runs a website that was voted Best New Blog of 2009. Granted, I’ve always had a knack for writing and I knew that the English award I won back in the day would lead me into a world of wonderfulness. I think I even tried to write book at some point, but then I got distracted by girls, sports, and frat life. And I say all of this not to just babble about my past, but to say that reflecting on this decade has made me appreciate the tremendous amount of personal growth and semi-success I’ve had. I say semi-success because I still have a lot to accomplish before I can ultimately say that I’m in the place I’d planned to be. So after a long intro and back story, I’m going to present my short list of major life accomplishments over the past 10 years. Well, those things that can be mentioned on the internet and not affect my personal life.
1. Being a Top Ranking Officer
I was looking through my high school year book from my senior year and the hierarchy of students since it was a military based institution. I know for a fact there weren’t many people that “looked like me” holding the position I held when they graduated going back 10-15 years. Gave me a lot to talk about on my college applications. Certainly not something I’d talk about to pick up a chick in a bar—not that I’d pick a chick up in a bar nowadays.
2. Dunking in a Basketball Game…Actually a Couple of Games
I don’t care if it was just high school hoops or during a summer league game. There’s something about dunking a basketball during a game that gives a man a semi-orgasmic feeling when the opposing team has to call time out and regroup because you shat on their day. It also makes for good stories when I’m trying to get my kid to be an athlete so I can live vicariously. Sorry Son. You won’t be much taller than 6’1. Sorry daughter. You’re going to have those muscular thighs for a long time. Use them for a scholarship.
3. Graduating from My College
Sounds like that should be the status-quo right? But when I say graduating from my college, I mean that I’m proud of the school I went to and a lot of the opportunities it has afforded me over the years. I’ve had people try to tell me that my ivy league degree doesn’t mean anything nowadays, but I think the body of experiences that led to this achievement have gotten me pretty far all things considered. And lastly, I survived being Greek. That doesn’t exactly work out for a lot of people—all organizations included.
4. Not Being in a Reckless Amount of Debt
I know a lot of people that get collection calls regularly. Only time I ever got one was for an ambulance bill that never got to me because I moved. Last thing I was thinking about in a new city was “that incident”.
5. Being a Part of 2 Award-Winning Websites
I had a little Myspace blog for a minute. I then had a Typepad site for like a day. Then came my personal original Slim Jackson blog. Then came Three Ways to Take It. Though this online stuff doesn’t pay the bills and I can’t put it on a resume, it is pretty cool. I remember setting a goal to win an award in 2009 for my efforts. My contributions here, the writing on my home site, and content I’ve had published elsewhere have helped me do just that. Hopefully this means 2010 will be a great year in these e-streets…and hopefully in my real world career as well.
I’m trying to end this decade on a high note. What about you? What are your biggest accomplishments of the last 10 years and what’s your top goal for 2010? Type.Cick.Share.
See You on the Other Side,
I can say that my biggest accomplishments has been meeting or exceeding the aspirations that my parents had for me as a child. Still alive, college grad, working, etc etc.
Although I still struggle with the idea of success and what it truly means, i know that I'm finally working towards the correct path and I hope that 2010 will bring more clarity and more action on my part to acheive and exceed my goals!
been a pleasure being a part of this site with you and the crew, and also <del>gettin to run trains</del> contributing to three ways. 2009 checks were written. 2010 we cash those bastids!
We all shoulda pledged TKE.
Three Ways is returning the same day I start new job. That makes a happy Ladycakes :-D.
I would say my greatest accomplishments of the decade excelling in boarding school and graduating with honors from undergrad and landing a wonderful job in my field fresh from college. I'm also really proud of the fact that I've let a lot of the petty things go and started focusing on the positive aspects of my life.
My biggest goals of 2010 is to try something new everday whether it be professionally or personally. There are alot of opportunities that I didn't go after because of whatever reason and I'm ready to challenge myself in 2010.
Ten years prior, a young Stank-0 was a senior in HS. Got accepted to ASU (Ariz St) transfered to KU, gradumated, and did Peace Corps. Loved every minute, in retrospect.
Came back and moved to VA then DC. Got accepted into grad school. Got into the nonproliferation program, which may have just landed me a job…no career this upcoming summer.
2010, I'm finishin grad school, moving to VA/DC for good, and starting life with the SO.
what's nonprofileration prog?
Wow, it's been 10 years since HS. This time 10 years ago, I had just received my acceptance letter to Spelman. Definitely one of the best decisions I've ever made! Now 10 yrs. later, I have a B.A., J.D., and preparing myself for the next stage in my academic, professional, and personal life.
It's been a hell of a decade… Looking back, I've grown so much as a woman in this cold, cold world. My biggest goals in 2010 is to make even bigger moves professionally, and make a huge physical move out of the country. Europe is calling me….
1. Making use of my college degree: I graduated in 1999 with a degree in architectural engineering, but worked in construction management. Granted I couldn't have that job without the degree, but it wasn't what I went to school for. Nine years after graduation, I managed to switch career tracks and work professionally as a structural engineer.
2. Personal training certification: Training has always been a passion, so I decided to attain a personal training certification. It was more to prove to myself I had the knowledge, so took a more difficult certification (NASM) than one that was more recognizable (like ACE).
3. Spiritual growth and knowledge: Actually sitting down and reading the entire bible and having more in-depth knowledge about my faith. It is actually embarrasing how little most Christians know about Christianity, and even more embarrasing how non-believers have trivial questions that the average Christian can't answer.
4. Forcing myself to educate myself/ read more: The learning process never ends. I realized about eight years ago that you don't learn much from the crime/local/weather/sports tripe spat out by most local and national news stations, so I made myself read more (non-fiction). This year alone I plowed through about nine books (although Steve Harvey's little book doesn't really count. After reading serious books on history, economics and philosophy, reading Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man felt like reading Dr. Seuss).
"2. Dunking in a Basketball Game…Actually a Couple of Games"
It is an awesome feeling, especially considering I'm 5'-8". Although I've never dunked on somebody, and probably never will, given that the last time I dunked was eight years and 50 pounds ago.
"4. Not Being in a Reckless Amount of Debt"
College loans will finally be paid off in a year and a half! I won't have to hear from Great Lakes anymore!
A 5'8 guy dunking on somebody more than likely would lead to psychiatric counseling for the victim.lol. Maybe it's for the betterment of society that you haven't performed such a feat.