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He's Got a New Great Job, Now What?
In my last letter I was mentioning family problems; I was very heavily financially tied to my family for far too long and when my mom and stepdad decided to split it was a total halt to my life as I knew it.
They got together again, but I took some time to really think about my situation and decided it was time to change things. I've been working for the family business since I was in high school and I've lived in a rental property of theirs for almost as long. While they've reconciled, they've decided to stop the business, sell the properties and retire. That's fine by me; it gave me the motivation to figure out how to get out of this situation for good.
I think I've made a major step towards that goal. I applied for a bunch of different jobs. I decided to shoot for the stars and figure out where I would land. I didn't hit the stars, but I feel like I hit the moon. A few days ago I accepted a job offer in a field that I am very much interested in. This could quite easily turn into a very nice career; my foot is in the door and it's my time to show the world what I'm made of. Between better hours and pay, I'm going to be making roughly twice what I used to.
I'm not saying that to brag. I'm saying that because this means one thing to me: independence. I'll be able to afford a decent place without taking on roommates. I'll be able to quickly pay off the debts I owe without any serious fuss. I can finally free myself of worrying about whatever happens to my family dragging me around the country. The shocking part is that I managed to do this all myself, with no inside contacts. I'm nervous about this, but I'm also excited.
Sorry for the big lead-in, but I have one huge question. How does one go about establishing themself? I'm going from living on my folks' coattails to being able to live independently and comfortably on my own. I already know I need to watch my expenses and not blow money needlessly; as it stands I have everything I need materially and most of what I want. I've unexpectedly found a major source of personal stability, so what now? What next? What can I do with this newfound freedom? I've never had this kind of stability before at pretty much any time of my life, so I'm completely confused as to what I can do with it. I'm scared to death but also very excited. What can I do to make a new life out of this?
Heisenwolf
* * *
Dear Heisenwolf,
Glad I have helped you some in the past :-3 Papabear is very proud of you for finding you can not only be successful but actually flourish after breaking away from being dependency upon you family. Good for you! You also appear to have a mature appreciation for the value of work and money, so doubly good for you :-)
The first thing you do in your newfound situation is create a budget of income and expenses, and take at least part of the money left over each month and start a retirement/rainy day fund. It’s never too early to plan for retirement, and definitely not too early to plan for an emergency such as losing your job (try to set aside at least 6 months’ salary for that particular contingency). Also, if your employer is not providing medical benefits, search for a reasonable medical plan with not too high of a deductible. Hopefully, once Obamacare starts to kick in next year, that will become an easier process. It probably would not be a bad idea, especially because of your inexperience, to make an appointment with a financial planner to advise you on the above.
If you like this new job and want to turn it into a career, then the thing to do is work very hard to excel at your job. Hopefully, there is opportunity for promotion, and you can continue to work toward better and better jobs. Also, don’t rest on your laurels. If there is opportunity for furthering your education or just getting more training of any kind in your field, do so. And never believe that your company will always be there for you. It could be bought out or go out of business without notice, so always have a plan in the back of your mind as to what to do should that happen.
Okay, so, that is all the practical stuff. Now for the stuff that is more fun :-)
Up until this point in your life, your worry has always been things like having enough money to get by and just survive. Now that you are finding yourself in a more comfortable position, take some time to think about the things that really matter to you. Do you wish to marry and raise a family? How about your spiritual life? Any artistic or inventive ambitions in your life? The good thing about money is that, when you have enough of it, you can start broadening yourself as a human being. It’s no longer a question of “Will I have enough to eat tonight?” but “What path should I take to have a spiritually and emotionally satisfying life?”
Ask yourself these questions and listen to what your heart says in reply. Then see what you can do to fulfill your heart’s wishes.
Congratulations! Good Luck! and Blessed Be!
Papabear
Where Is the Fandom Going?
Genetic Mutations - What if science fiction became reality? What would the world be like then? We approach the subject of genetic mutations and "x-men"...
What if science fiction became reality? What would the world be like then? We approach the subject of genetic mutations and “x-men” from somewhat of a furry perspective, but the ethical nature of the discussion is also important, and one we spend a lot of time on.
Metadata and Credits WagzTail Podcast 2.0 Episode 92Runtime: 30m
Cast: Detheros, Levi, Wolfin, Yurei
Editor: Levi
Format: 128kbps ABR split-stereo MP3
Copyright: © 2013 WagzTail.com. Some Rights Reserved. This podcast is released by WagzTail.com as CC BY-ND 3.0. If distributed with a facility that has an existing agreement in place with a Professional Rights Organisation (PRO), file a cue sheet for 26:00 to Fabien Renoult (BMI) 1.67%, Josquin des Pres (BMI) 1.67%, WagzTail.com 96.67%. Rights have been acquired to all content for national and international broadcast and web release with no royalties due. Podcast image belongs to Tomislav Alajbeg, used with permission.
Review: ‘The City of Ice’, chapters 1-8, by Roz Gibson
Episode 230 - Podcasts Eh
My card game about mischievous fox spirits is 44% funded - please help me bring it to life!
Yiffchat - Furry chat site (something i found)
Advice for setting up a fursuit lounge at event?
A fair invited us and is offering us space to use on the grounds, an empty 16" truck with padlock to keep our stuff safe while we go out. It will probably be 6-10 fursuiters with bins.
There isn't power... we have to bring some, and fans, lights, and water coolers.
Any advice about how to power this? Best gear like lights? Anything else? Thanks!
submitted by Ipatfurries[link] [4 comments]
This is well done, but what...I don't even...
Fur The Lifestylers, I'd Like To Share Our Stories.
I've seen a lot of "coming out" posts about Furry on here in the past month or so, and coupled with that I have seen a lot of "Furry is just a hobby!" responses, that often carry themselves too far into putting down anyone who holds Furry so close to their heart that they do feel the need to "come out" and show just how big a part of their life this Fandom is. The are Hobbiests, and there are Lifestylers, and we are both equal in our participation in the Fandom. One is not better than the other, and it is time to stop having this Burned Fur - Freezing Fur discussion after a decade and a half.
I want us to share our stories, as Furry Lifestylers, so that it may become easier to understand just why this Fandom is such an important part of our life that it deserves a "coming out" along with other things which can be summed up as "Furry Pride."
**I feel like I was a Furry from birth. The Furry Lifestyle is one I have participated in since I can remember. In middle school I had many failed attempts of making paper ears and tails. I tried to draw Anthro, almost as instinct, and I knew that I had a special thing for Foxes that no one else understood.
I never had very many friends growing up. The conditions of my family's poverty in such a wealthy area as Orange County did not afford me the luxury of friendship. On top of that, my parents were rather isolated people. My father was a wreck of a "business man" who's living consisted with activities on par with selling things out of the back of a truck. He was also a Vicodin addict for two years. My mother was very sick for most of my childhood, physically and emotionally as well. My father was loud, abrasive, and often violent, especially as I grew up. These things made me shirk friends in the first place. Why would I want to bring one of my wealthy friends home to see my dump of a condo, and then see my "family"?
I guess you could say I retreated into the world of cartoon animals out of a wish to neglect reality, but I counter that with the fact that I just always assumed I was the only one like me. The minute I found this Fandom I was driven to be active in it. And so, Christmas morning, when I was 14, 2006, I got what little my parents could afford me. Books, which, looking back, were the greatest gift, but 14 year old me wanted trinkets, of which my one friend had aplenty. So I went across the street to his home, where his brand new PS2 was sitting waiting, and of course, I wasn't allowed to play it. So I got on his computer and, like a thousand times before, google image searched Foxes. Scrolling through page after page until I came to something I had never seen before anywhere else... but in my mind. Two young Anthro foxes reading a book. I was captivated, so I clicked and got taken to the site. I landed on [Taurin Fox's Website] (www.taurinfox.com) and all of a sudden...I was home in a home I never had. I had just, out of the blue, gotten confirmation of my feelings and learned that one person, at least one person out there was like me. The subject matter didn't even phase me. I had imagined that too a thousand times before and here I was being told by someone 3000 miles away "You are not alone!" And it gave me courage. Then revelation two hit, and for the second time in less than 5 minutes my life changed forever, as I realized...these were males...with other males, and it started dawning on me as well as well that I was not what I had been raised to think I was. I ravished the pages with my eyes and committed to memory the words "Yiff, Scritch, Murr, and Furry Fandom." I knew that, whatever Furries were, I was one of them, and I saved these words like the were burned into the back of my eyes for a time when I had my own computer and could research this on my own. Eventually my friend looked away from the PS2 and realized what was on his computer screen and made me get it off of there. He then proceeded to say how people like that should be killed. I guess those words effected me more than he expected them too, because it has made me one of the loudest, and proudest Furries ever.
I knew that day, at 14, what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, and that it would never be the same. I'm glad it never was. Through every trial in my life, every hardship in childhood, every act of irresponsibility of my father, every sickness of my mother, every year without necessities I could cling on knowing that out there there was a Fandom waiting for me, and I would join it beyond the screen. I promised myself that so long as this Fandom continued to open doors for me I would pass that light along to every Furry I meet. It has never stopped opening doors, and it has always given me the courage to overcome any task. Now, at 20, because of my devotion to the lifestyle that chose me, I run a very successful college club, Furry Club, which goes beyond the call and advocated for Furries on campus. I am producer of a play about Furries out of LA. I was able to step out from under my parents, taking evicition as an opportunity, moved in with my aunt, and now after a year have more money in my pocket that most of my fiends, and at 20, this Saturday, will be moving out on my own into a room I have rented in a home by my school and I will never stop being a Furry. Because I honestly believe that because of the existence of this Fandom, with its overwhelming acceptance and compassion, with its strong sense of family for those who have none, and with its fun spirit, I am proud to call myself a Furry Lifestyler.**
submitted by Hemms3[link] [13 comments]
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