First Impression: Job Corps (Hi, I'm back)

Oofa! Has it really been 2 months since I’ve done the blogging? My fault y’all. I’m going to get back to doing these things on the regular. I did do a blog on wrestling yesterday, but I didn’t post it on here. Here’s the link if you want to read that one: http://bit.ly/ajyOJI

So before I share what’s been going on, let me give a brief history that some of my new readers might not know, and some of my old readers might not remember. I did go to college. I went to college, chose a major that I wasn’t interested in, and some semesters after, I quit. The smart thing would’ve been is to change the major to something that was suitable to enhancing the skills I already had, but I did just the opposite.

Fast forward!! Job corps. As some of you know, I recently went to a meeting to maybe join it. Before the meeting I was hyped up because I was thinking it was going to be awesome. I was going to travel out of state and get some training. I was going to meet some new friends. I was going to possibly meet some of you that I’ve talked to for years online. I was going enhance my skills or find a skill that I’m interested in learning and get a job in that skill and live my life until I die!! I had everybody congratulating me in advance. “Oh, Daniel I have a good feeling about this one!” “Go, Daniel, go!!” *ting*

Ever had a dream or a vision of how something is going to be and then in reality it’s not anything like the dream or vision? Here’s my reality.

So I go up to the place where the meeting was at dressed in slacks and a nice shirt. I had all the stuff I thought I needed in a nice yellow folder thinking how impressed are they going to be, and I walk in! Then I see a young guy around 16-17 wearing a hat, jeans full of holes and a t-shirt with his mom. I see another guy with jeans, and boots on. I sit beside a guy in the waiting room with a long sleeve red shirt on and sneakers. So already I was feeling like I missed a memo. Then I heard that I needed something that I didn’t know I needed. So I walk in with all my stuff in a nice folder, and the fact is I don’t have everything and I’m over dressed. The meeting gets started and it’s like a round table meeting. Basically all who was applying sat a table with the speaker at the head of it. A business meeting like atmosphere. First we watch a video. I’m watching this video and I’m like, hold up! Am I joining a college? They’re talking about staying in dorms with roommates and eating on campus and all that. For up to two years. Remember I didn’t last in college, and that was for a TWO YEAR DEGREE. This is already not looking good. My dream and expectation looked nothing like this.

After the video, the lady running it, starts explaining more about what Job Corps is. She then says that if we don’t say anything and/or ask a question she’s not giving us an application. Okie Dokie. So I don’t say anything the whole time. I can feel some of you right now gasping and saying, “Daniel!” My response, “Ye shall know the truth…” The reason I don’t say anything for one, again, it’s nothing like I expected. Hard work? I expected that. Don’t get me wrong, I was not expecting this to be a cat walk. Another reason I don’t say anything is because I’m listening to all of the other people, and most of them have dropped out of high school. I’m not going to talk bad about them dropping out of high school, so just relax folks. The fact was, I got my high school diploma. I was clean as far as crime goes. I’ve never done drugs. I’ve thought about it, but never did it. I literally felt like I was in a rehab center.

So later on in the meeting, the lady looked at me and said and I quote, “Ask me something.” I didn’t know what to say so I sat and pondered. I didn’t have a question. I didn’t have a statement ready because again none of this was expected. I didn’t know I was in a meeting for basic training, which is what it felt like to me. I didn’t say anything, so she asked me, “Why are you here?” I told her the truth that I’m 23 years old, I don’t want to depend on my parents anymore…blah blah blah. She told me the truth that I looked like a grown man. I don’t know what gave it away; maybe it was the mustache and the beard. Smart woman this one was, but I digress. She told me that if I go through with this, I’d have to go all the way, which I knew and thought I was ready to do.

Anyway, we then get some handouts. Before I go there, we get told what Job Centers are opening. Now, I wanted OUT of familiarity. One center was outside of Ashville, NC. The other center was outside of Orangeburg, SC. Both are 2 ½ hours away. Yikes. Again, not what I expected. Maybe I should stop thinking to much into stuff before actually seeing what it is so I won’t be turned down. Back to the handouts. We get the handouts, and first thing I hear about is Polo shirts and kakis. So now I’m joining a private school. I didn’t say that out loud, but that’s what I was thinking. I don’t mind the khakis but I hate polo shirts with a PASSION. Here’s the allowance: $25 bi-weekly. I get more than that now. Again, not sounding like the dream I was hoping for. Not sounding like what I was praying for. This is sounding like the Army without the exercise and weapons.

I know I know. “Daniel, stop complaining! This is all going to lead to something!” I feel you. I’m with you. Now we get to what I thought would’ve brought me back into accepting to going into this. The occupations offered. Uh…what do I do here? I’m not interested in any of this. “Daniel this is a great opportunity. You have nothing going on. You have no room to complain.” I feel you. I’m with you. You’re right. 100%. Yesterday, I go on the Job Corps website to see if I find something on there that I might be interested in. Uh…

Now I’m stuck. I don’t know what to do. Oh, btw, I forgot to mention that back in college when I chose my major, my mom played a major part. Mom suggested Job Corps to me. I’m not throwing my mom under the bus. For one I love my mom, and I wouldn’t do that to her. She’s just trying to help. Me having nothing going on, I took a shot because it was something.

Back to the meeting, so we get to the point where we fill out the actual application. I haven’t had to write that much cursive since Elementary School. I signed my name so many times. Good Lord! So it came to a point where I had to choose 3 occupations. Remember, I’m not interested in none of this. I have no desire to pursue any of this. So I chose something I might be able to make a go at. Something I’m not that interested in. Remind you of anything? Yeah, this has potential to be a bust!

I know this all sounds like I’m ungrateful. I’m not, ok? I’m not ungrateful. I know and understand that at this point of my life I need to do something. I am 23 years old. I can’t depend on my Mom anymore. I got to come up with something on my own. On the real, I just want God’s will to be done, and if I got to join the Job Corps so be it. I just know, my heart won’t be in it.

Another thing on the meeting, we were told people can’t be trusted. Be careful what you bring, what you put in your locker because people will steal. Turns out there’s a big lesbian epidemic going on at one of the centers. It seems like one cluster after another. Again, I know it seems like I’m ungrateful and complaining. The question comes up, “Ok, Daniel, not this. Then what? Because you got to do something.” Want the honest answer. I don’t know. I do not know. There it is the truth.

I would love to get paid doing something like this. Blogging. Sharing my thoughts like this. I would love one day to write a novel and have it on top of the best seller list. I would love to one day do something musically, weather its sing and/or play drums. I would love an opportunity to work backstage for a wrestling company because I feel I have a great mind for it. A lot of stuff I would love to do. I would love to do a show on stage. Maybe do a stage play. I’m crazy. I don’t have any sense what so ever, and most of y’all know that. I say all that to let y’all know, I have dreams. I have stuff I want to do. And I think it’s good that I just admitted that stuff on here because it lets me know that I am capable of doing something. I have to ask God forgiveness for lying at the Job Corps meeting because I said that I don’t know what I want to do career wise. After all that stuff I just mentioned, it turns out I have a pretty good idea, huh?

I know this is lengthy but again it has been 2 months, so I just wanted to remind some of you and introduce some of you to what I do and what I can do. I was contemplating on rather to post this or not but it’s going up. Obviously you know that because you’re reading it. People are going to take this either way they want to. I can’t control how people feel. People have always either loved or hated my blogs. I’ve got chastised and praised on the same blog. So that comes with the territory.

Continue to pray for me, and please share your thoughts and opinions. I know you got some. Thanks for reading.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson