Where I've been (Part 1)

I'm going to talk a lot about where I am, and where I hope to be going, but that might just be getting ahead of myself. A "biography" or "About me" blurb won't quite do it. I've had a lot of different jobs, yet I managed to hold the same one for almost ten years. My background will help explain why it is hard for me to figure out what to do next. It'll also be too long for a single entry, so I'll post the other half tomorrow.

I was one of those really, really smart little kids. Never stopped asking questions, tested well, skipped a grade, maybe a little nerdy, but nothing that really stunted my social development too badly. Coasted through high school, learned that I really liked performing and was good at it, and that if I slacked off, I wouldn't be socially ostracised as much. (If I want to be brutally honest with myself, this probably didn't do wonders for establishing a good work ethic right away, as I learned to procrastinate and do just enough to get by.) Really got into "doing my own thing", being the "weird kid", and went to college with a black fedora, trenchcoat and chuck taylors as my standard uniform.

Didn't do so well in college, drank a lot, didn't go to many classes, casually aced the few I did turn up for, but dropped out with nothing to show for it but a lot of debt. Moved back home from my first apartment into my parent's house and took another shot at college. Stopped taking classes when I landed my first "real" job. I'd already worked in a fabric store, with a temp agency, grocery store, at my father's place of employment as an office drone to a big financial printer, and even threw papers 7 days a week out of my old beat-up car. This was different. (We'll start there tomorrow.)