To recap on events I’m sure you’re not privy to;
*Cue sitcom style montage of events that have transpired in the last 6 months, full of pretty girls, pop culture references and the latest melodies now available on itunes. *
I’ve been unemployed since late October. I quit my job of 3 years at a game store (the very week I was offered a promotion) to better myself and not get stuck in a rut. Just like that guy in that movie with Ryan Reynolds. Unfortunately, life doesn’t always imitate art and 6 months later all I’ve managed to do is end up in my Y Fronts, having exhausted all my savings and the only female attention I have received is from my mother or my feline better half.
I have applied to college to do a bit of the old Game design but (and if I get in) that’s another 6 months away if I’m lucky. I AM LOSING MY MIND. MELODRAMA. The caps make it more real and reach out to you as a reader see. Besides job hunting in a desperate attempt to get some fundage behind my 2 a day (early) Easter egg habit, I have been surviving on my Games collection.
6 months is a long time and let me tell you my friends, no amount of consistent and substantial social life, living it up in bars wooing the ladies or hanging with the guys is going to successfully kill every single goddamn spare hour you have at your disposal. As a classic and rather clichéd nerd I typically like to kill those “rare” moments of boredom with a spot of the old gaming and my god is that getting exhausting. I’ve caught up on titles I bought on the cheap years ago and never got round to completing. Games I fancied replaying for entertainment purposes. I exhaust any new release within days. Resident Evil 5 was (almost) mastered within a week. Great game. Fantastic game (ignoring the fact that it was a 4 clone and any other problems I had with it). I just can’t stand the sight of the bastard any more. It’s nothing personal, but I’d like to compare it to a dirty weekend away with the newly acquired misses. You do your thing, work the old charm, perform the old in/out a couple times, have a romantic dinner and then wish she’d sod off temporarily so you can watch your soaps. It’s nothing personal; you just need your space for a while. You’ve spent too long in close proximity with your little love biscuit.
Trapped in my room and a town located in the sticks, hunting for work, I don’t get that space. My room isn’t my room without some heat radiating off the fan of some console. I sneeze or lose my balance and I’m pretty much guaranteed a slow and painful death by suffocation from my video game collection.
I wander the local ghost town escaping the dark clutches of my nerd prison and the only shops of interest heavily stock the items I find most endearing yet (currently) so tiring.
I go out and cavort with friends, but a lot of them are former work colleagues. As previously mentioned I worked in a Game store. Games tend to crop up from time to time you know? I can’t even sup on a traditional pint of ale without hearing the fecking Konami code at least once!
I’ve taken up running. I’m slowly trying to kill myself with physical exercise. I’ve started drawing again. I’ve started writing again in the form of this blog. I’m now reading more than ever. I’m on first name terms with the sweet old lady at the library, toothless grin an’ all! The thing is, I’m now slowly tiring of them too (The old lady especially). Holy plot twist Mattman!
So yes, I’m in a rut and I’m looking for advices. Advice besides anything patronizing like “Hang in there old chum” or “Get a job” are most welcome. Both I’m working on.
What have you done to combat against such a problem yourself? Are there any programs you’d suggest I’d familiarise myself with before going to college and designing the next big hit with a number in its title? Are you free tomorow night?
Anything you can offer me in the form of words or a constructed sentence will make this old man very happy albeit for a couple seconds. Regardless of it’s content.
There are only so many times or ways that I can touch myself before life just isn’t worth living any more. (Try not to let the sarcasm go completely over your head please.)
One as handsome as I was not meant for an existence as dull as this.
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Wow, I hate to hear about what you are going through. The economy really sucks, and I can empathize with that as I also work / worked in retail since I was 16, and now as a store manager I feel pressure to cut hours / people.
It is a horrible existance right now in the job market, so I wish you the best of luck. As for the time thing, I honestly could never find a way to till all the hours in the day even when I had a job, and even though I write a lot, am dating, working out a few times a week, and playing video games constantly.
I hope you get out of your rut as smoothly as possible. Immerse yourself in getting scholarships for school, job applications, working out (which will exhaust you a lot at first) and try to put down the controller for a bit. Sometimes it can take over your life in a negative way.
I once quit both of my jobs, because I got sick, and tired of life in general, and dropped out of school for the semester and blew 6 months of my life on doing nothing but playing video games. I don't regret it, because I don't regret anything, but it was definitely a negative experience.
Good luck to you, in any way you need it, with regard to anything you need to pull yourself up a bit
Have a great rest of your night
-Dan
All I could say is, mad props for the Naota avatar.
Clockwork Orange reference, ftw!
Oh yeah, and finding a job fucking sucks. I've been working odd jobs and part times for almost a year now. Every time I get what seems to be a promising job, my boss turns into a fucking twat and either goes to jail or rehab(True stories).
Man I know how you feel on the jobless front. I am dreading getting out of school for the summer since I have no job lined up and nothing in my field is really looking for students.
Do you play sports?? Ultimate Frisbee is great if you want something co-ed ;). I recommend at least going for runs or long bike rides because that helps to clear your mind and make you feel good about yourself. Or that's how I keep myself busy when I'm under the weather haha.
@ Persona
It's great to see you're still here ^_^. I tried to apologize in your one post for coming on so strong and acting like a bit of a douche but it wouldn't let me reply for some reason.
Anyways, intros people!! haha ;)
I work in a bullshit job for 10$ an hour wasting my life. Things generally suck, don't they? Can't really escape the crap in life.
Snake? Is that you?
Advice? I got none. Ok maybe just one. Try to build up your resume. Do some community service, you know, maybe spend an hour or two at the nursing home. You may find many sweet old ladies.
@celicacrazed
no worries apology accepted I kind of got the impression that anal rape was one of the things that noobs must endure here
Go hang out at your local Gamestop talking to the clerk about Magic Cards.. that's what the unemployed fuckers did to me when i worked there.
Or, if you have a digital camera, try to take up photography. Or do some street art like Banksy.
Apologies for the mass late reply, I've been kipping.
@PERSONA:
God speed you sir. Sounds like we've both been through a of the same rubbish. Not that our experiences are anything particularly special or exciting, just very "Dull and Ordinary?" in the immortal words of Ricky Gervais.
Things have worked out for you I trust? Happy where you are now(?) or do you have any plans to go back to school like me? I dropped out myself a few years back before I started at Gamestation (The course wasn't right for me) and I 'm looking at this as a last chance for a career outside of retail.
I was losing faith in humanity dealing with the general public every day and I didn't like the fella I was becoming. Think the Hulk, but with a better haircut and less muscles. Customers are the worst kind of human being.
Like you, I don't regret the choice of quitting. I'm a much happier little rascal these days and I'm thankful for that, crazy boredom aside. My locale and low currency just haven't helped make this period in my life easy for me. ;_; <- These pixelated tears are not a real manifestation of my feelings. Being such a manly and feral beast in the flesh, my eye lids have grown their own biceps and would drop no less than twenty before a hint of moisture was allowed to escape my tear ducts.
Thank you for your kind words Sailor and is there any chance of hard mailing me an image of yourself in a tasteful frame please? That way I can stare longingly into it before I rest my wears each night.:p
@DIVERSE: I want to take you home, keep you in an empty shoe box and feed you peanuts. :)
@CAFFEINE KNIGHT:
I want to purchase you a strong beverage for noticing my Clockwork Orange reference.
Former employees in Jail or Rehab? I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or worried about your employments choices brother! :p
@CELICACRAZE: Good advice. I actually went for a long leisurely stroll this afternoon thanks to that little gem I feel a lot better for it. I've neglected exercise for the last fortnight and should hopefully get back into the swing of leg warming regularly. I used to partake in running quite a lot as a teen based gentleman and now is a good a time as any to start again.
Despite my dislike for this town I live in, it's surrounded by plenty of beautiful English countryside to look at. I'll stop there as I'm starting to sound like such an old fart.
Good luck on the job front yourself though. The only advice I can offer to you though is this; Have you thought of approaching places in advance before you finish for the summer? That way you won't jump in cold.
@BLACKFREEFALL:
I've always wanted to do something like that but I'm afflicted with crippling levels of shyness. That being said, maybe it's time I manned up and grew a pair? It might actually help me with that problem. (Though a lot of people who've met me in the flesh would question I had one at all). I want me a sugar nanny!
@THETOILETDUCK:
It's a little uncanny that you mentioned taking up photography. With what little fundage I actually have at my disposal, I ordered a decent(ish) and fairly priced digital camera online a few days ago.
I do worry that I'll just end up with a hard disk full of newly captured high res cat pictures. :D