High School Days

So it's only a month into 2008 and everything is so much better. I accomplished two things. I hired a new assistant at work and I paid off all my credit card debt. I feel like this huge weight is lifted off of me.

Towards the end of last year, I thought I was gonna break and just quit my job. Things have gotten so outta hand and I was getting burnt out. The first few weeks with my assistant were pretty rough. I never managed a full time employee before. It was always student workers, temporary employees or interns. All of which I had no problem working with. But a full timer is a different story. For those who know me, I don't relinquish work very well. I always felt that no one can do what I want better than myself. So giving projects to other people is a very difficult thing for me.

BUT! I'm growing and learning and last week, I passed on a lot of things to my assistant. This weekend was the first weekend in over a year that I didn't turn on my work laptop, check voice messages and e-mails. I even deleted my work e-mail from my blackberry. THAT was a very difficult thing to do and I'm still trying to get used to it. I check my phone every five minutes because I'm used to always having a bunch of messages waiting for me. So yeah, this weekend was good in the sense that absolutely no work took place. It sucked because I'm still a little sick. I just have this cough that will not go away!

How did I get sick? Well, I was in Atlanta for an event planners conference for a week and guess what. Before we got there, Atlanta was in a level four drought. But when we got there...it started raining and then...SNOWING!!! YES, SNOW! I was pretty pissed off because I had warm clothes, but not snow clothes! I didn't know it snowed in the south, did you? But yeah, so pretty much everyone at the conference was sick and low and behold, I got sick. =( Blech!

Anywho, I've been taking it easy these past few days trying to recover because this Sunday I'm off again! This time to San Antonio, Texas. Man, if it gets cold and snows in San Antonio, I'mma be very pissed off!

So why did I title this entry "High School Days"? Well, ever since high school, there has been so many things weighing on me. Getting into College, deciding a major, graduating in that major, finding a job, excelling at work, finding a better job, excelling at that job, etc. All along, accruing debt and having a hard time paying things off. With all of that pressure, I somehow along the way lost my senses I think. I became numb to the world around me because I couldn't even think straight...always thinking about all these pressures and trying to find a way out.

Well after this weekend, I think I finally made my way back...back to how I saw the world back in high school.

Tonight, I spent about two and a half hours listening to music on youtube and itunes. I knew I always loved the song, "The Prayer" performed by all the artists like Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli, Josh Groban and Anthony Callea. But until tonight I don't think I really heard the song. I mean, while I was listening to all these different versions, I once again started to hear not just the melody or the lyrics. I suddenly was able to hear the melodic progressions, harmonies, consonant and dissonant notes. For the first time in years, I was able to hear and recognize these things. It brought a smile to my face and I'll be honest, a tear to my eye. I've played music every day for about twelve years. I used to be able to hear and appreciate all of these little things, and suddenly I unknowingly lost it. But man is it a perfect moment when you realize it's back. It almost like becoming color blind, and then suddenly one day seeing the most beautiful vibrant sunset ever. A great feeling indeed.

I hope I can keep this up and enjoy what the rest of 2008 has to offer. Things are looking up! :)