Life after High School
This week my oldest niece, Ashley, is graduating from High School. It is hard to believe that this little girl that I watched from a distance, is now a young woman, and going out into the big wide world. I remember graduating from the same high school back in 1988. There was over 800 plus of use getting our diplomas that night.
A few days later, I was on a plane to Hawaii, for a week of fun with other classmates. I had worked all senior year, and back than I think I paid $300 for the total trip. There was about 15 of us from Mesa High that went on the trip. About two weeks later, we were all back together to share our pictures of the trip. The talk turned to what next. For most, it was off to college. I was one of three Mormons that went on the trip, and I knew that in two months I would be putting in my papers for a Mormon mission, and with in six months I would be in the mission. field. I was shocked to find that many envied me, because I knew what I was going to be doing for the next two years. My plan for after was not so sure. I knew I would go off to college, BYU (Brigham Young University) at the time. But that was it. I thought that after college, I would probably be working for the government. Boy how all those plans have changed.
After my mission, I came back and was living at home. I had changed what I wanted to study, so BYU was out and Arizona State was the choice. But ASU did not accept me text scores, so it was off to Mesa Community College. I was lucky enough to get a job working at the bookstore at the college, in December. this job ended just a week after the semester started in January. So in February I was had found a job working at Keith Riggs Plumbing, working in there warehouse. At this same time I found my wife.
About a year after working at Riggs, I was laid off. So back to finding work. I did not find a job until June of 1992. I would be working for General Plumbing, doing basically the same thing I did at Riggs. During this time I continued to work and go to school. Work was demanding, and during school I would be working 30 plus hours a week, and sometime over 50 in the summer months. If you had read my other blogs, you will know that school was not easy for me. The first few years going to school I was taking up to 4 classes a semester. Working at General It went down to one or two classes per semester. By 2008 I had enough credits to graduate.
But as I was finishing up college, the economy went south. I saw the company, that I had been at for over 15 years in 2007, go for 160 plus employees to 75 with in a week in October. By the end of 2008 there was just 15 employees left. And on the very last day of January of 2009, I was laid off. almost 17 years at one place. It was sad to leave. I loved my job, I like my bosses, I loved the people that I worked with, and there was promise of moving up in the company, but things just turned bad and did not recover.
Since being laid off. It has not been easy. I am still looking for a good job. I started a company with my father in 2010, call Eaglegate LLC, which brings in some money, but not a lot. I lost my mother to cancer in 2011. And last year, after 21 years, me and my wife separated.
As I look back to graduation in 1988. I could have not seen how my live would have turned out. I do not think any of us can predict what the future holds for us. I look at my niece Ashley, and worry about what will be next in her life. Will she marry her boyfriend? Will she go to beauty college and learn how to do hair or nails? What will her relationship with her family be like? I do not know what the future will hold for her. I just hope that it is bright one!
A few days later, I was on a plane to Hawaii, for a week of fun with other classmates. I had worked all senior year, and back than I think I paid $300 for the total trip. There was about 15 of us from Mesa High that went on the trip. About two weeks later, we were all back together to share our pictures of the trip. The talk turned to what next. For most, it was off to college. I was one of three Mormons that went on the trip, and I knew that in two months I would be putting in my papers for a Mormon mission, and with in six months I would be in the mission. field. I was shocked to find that many envied me, because I knew what I was going to be doing for the next two years. My plan for after was not so sure. I knew I would go off to college, BYU (Brigham Young University) at the time. But that was it. I thought that after college, I would probably be working for the government. Boy how all those plans have changed.
After my mission, I came back and was living at home. I had changed what I wanted to study, so BYU was out and Arizona State was the choice. But ASU did not accept me text scores, so it was off to Mesa Community College. I was lucky enough to get a job working at the bookstore at the college, in December. this job ended just a week after the semester started in January. So in February I was had found a job working at Keith Riggs Plumbing, working in there warehouse. At this same time I found my wife.
About a year after working at Riggs, I was laid off. So back to finding work. I did not find a job until June of 1992. I would be working for General Plumbing, doing basically the same thing I did at Riggs. During this time I continued to work and go to school. Work was demanding, and during school I would be working 30 plus hours a week, and sometime over 50 in the summer months. If you had read my other blogs, you will know that school was not easy for me. The first few years going to school I was taking up to 4 classes a semester. Working at General It went down to one or two classes per semester. By 2008 I had enough credits to graduate.
But as I was finishing up college, the economy went south. I saw the company, that I had been at for over 15 years in 2007, go for 160 plus employees to 75 with in a week in October. By the end of 2008 there was just 15 employees left. And on the very last day of January of 2009, I was laid off. almost 17 years at one place. It was sad to leave. I loved my job, I like my bosses, I loved the people that I worked with, and there was promise of moving up in the company, but things just turned bad and did not recover.
Since being laid off. It has not been easy. I am still looking for a good job. I started a company with my father in 2010, call Eaglegate LLC, which brings in some money, but not a lot. I lost my mother to cancer in 2011. And last year, after 21 years, me and my wife separated.
As I look back to graduation in 1988. I could have not seen how my live would have turned out. I do not think any of us can predict what the future holds for us. I look at my niece Ashley, and worry about what will be next in her life. Will she marry her boyfriend? Will she go to beauty college and learn how to do hair or nails? What will her relationship with her family be like? I do not know what the future will hold for her. I just hope that it is bright one!
Hawaii was a blast.
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing and so wise. Just think of the great things that await you!
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