Comfortable being uncomfortable

I have had a revelation. 

This is never going to be easy.

I'm not used to that.  I'm used to sailing.  Smoothly. 

And now I know those days are over, for the time being anyway.

But I also realize I'm never going to get anywhere in this game without really and truly pushing myself, and dealing with the resulting uncomfortableness that entails.  And the self-doubt and frustration and anger and the urge to drink and smoke heavily.  Especially that urge.

This process is inevitably going to entail struggle.  I'm learning slowly and begrudgingly that it's a righteous struggle that will pay off in proportionate dividends.  Otherwise nobody would ever put themselves through this rollercoaster.

Fallen behind

My worst fears have come true: I've fallen behind.

This is officially not fun anymore.

After a close, dear friend's death in May and then spending a good week getting over illness, I have fallen behind.  If it weren't for my instructor's patience and understanding, I would be in jeopardy of failing rather than falling behind. 

Harsh words have been spoken.  Tears have been shed.  It has not been pretty.

Every bit of momentum I had has been sucked out of my sails. 

But I'm still in it.  I will get through this if I have to claw and scrape my way through.    

Would you wear that to a job?

Jeans have become a staple of fashion in our society.  Jeans Friday at the office seems like it's been around forever, not just a couple of decades.

But I never wear jeans to school.

First and foremost, denim is not the softest, kindest fabric to begin with.  Denim was initially designed for the working man in the fields, mines and factories.  Now, people with too much money spend hundreds of dollars on the same comparable pants I can find at the thrift store for $4.

At school?  Really?

This profession involves a lot of sitting.  Jeans and their stiff, unforgiving waistlines are not conducive to sitting comfortably, especially compared to a softer, stretchier fabric.  End of story.  If your jeans are that comfortable to wear when sitting, they're too broken in for school.

But more than anything, I want to be perceived as a professional.  I want to show my teachers, staff, and guest speakers and prospective future employers that I know what it means to dress as a professional.

Some of my fellow students' attire includes spaghetti-strapped camisole tops with exposed bra-straps, second-skin-tight leggings, and "fashionably" ripped shirts.  Some students look like they're going either to the club or to Walmart, but definitely not to school.  I'm not THAT old, but when did people start thinking it was okay to dress sexy or sloppy in a professional environment?

Inside Prince Institute

This video was NOT included in my promotional materials.  My theory teacher even makes a brief appearance!  And believe it or not learning steno is more fun than it looks here, I promise....

"Get in their face"

Aka networking.  This is what graduate, court reporter and firm owner Angie Baca said during her presentation last week.  In other words, get yourself out in the field.  Introduce yourself to people.  Smile, shake hands, and make that all-important first impression.   This is what our graduate celebre Wendy did, and she now works for Ms. Baca after interning with her.

As they say, its not what you know, but who you know.

Assembly

I attended my first awards assembly for the winter quarter last week.  It reminded me of a pep rally a little bit.  One lady I went to class with last quarter received an award for completing TEN tests in one quarter!  Impressive and inspiring.

Our director also unveiled the new, redesigned school program.  If I wasn't at the beginning of my theory and was more along in the program, I'd probably be more than a little irritated about switchin things up midway.  We do get two weeks between breaks (likely a mixed blessing), and we finally get a real half hour for lunch instead of twenty measly minutes.  No complaints there.

And I have to hand it to our staff for finding and showing a court reporter funny on youtube.  It's worth the bad quality.

On the cutting edge: Phoenix rising

I am so thankful I am learning stenography at this point in time.  From where I'm sittin, now is the ideal time to learn the new realtime theory, Phoenix theory.  Up until the very last few years, stenography writers always had a printer for the steno notes.  Not anymore.  Now laptops and a new theory have replaced the old writers and way of transcribing.  Those reporters who knew the old theory had to either learn the new technology or retire, thus opening up the profession to a new generation of realtime reporters.  Who knew my laziness and procrastination to embark on a real career would ultimately have an upside.  BAM!

I don't know if I could've handled having to learn a new theory after mastering an old one.  I feel for those making the switch, I truly do...

The first day of the rest of your life

What an exciting week!!  I wasn't sure how I would take to learning the actual theory and method of stenography but I am pickin it up so far!  I know I have a long way to go, but the initial getting-to-know-your-writer period is over and I can say with a sigh of relief that I think I picked the right career move for the foreseeable future!  Whew!

I put quite a bit of thinkin into this possible career path before I committed the second half of my financial aid to a venture that is, ultimately, a bit of a gamble, but so far a sound one.  Can't live life without takin risks.

So what has been a fantasy is now becoming real.  Exciting and a bit scary at the same time!  But I really like my instructor and the support staff at school which is comforting and reassuring.

Monday really did feel like the first day of the rest of my life.  A warm fuzzy feeling.