2010 – The Year of Changes

Everyone I know is going through changes this year. Aside from my friend Mel losing his job and my friend Tina losing her mother, I’ve seen a lot of people indicate that big changes are happening to them. (If you are experiencing this, leave a comment and tell me about it.) I’m working (mostly diligently) on my book, and have a much more intent focus, though so far things are quiet enough that I can’t see huge changes, but I can certainly feel them. And as always at such times, I can feel something coming, just over the horizon. It all feels positive.

My friend Mel talked to Meridjet on the phone one evening this past week — my first time channeling him verbally other than a brief practice session with Christina (Alanora). Over the last couple of months, Mel had been feeling dissatisfied at work and wanted to look for another job, and was trying to put his resumé together, but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it. Meridjet told him that those urges were a signal from the Universe (or his higher self, or whatever term you prefer) that it was time for Mel to move on, and when he didn’t take the hint and time grew short, it became necessary to get him out of that job pronto. So he was fired. Meridjet told him that this is an opportunity not to be missed.

At first, Mel was depressed and I wasn’t sure that it had helped him to talk to Meridjet (or me). But I spoke to him again on Sunday, and he has stumbled upon a discovery. Since his release from prison 4 years ago, he’s really cleaned up — he’s sober, dedicated, and he volunteers with various organizations that help gays and lesbians stay clean and off drugs and alcohol. He’s really put in a lot of time, and this past Saturday he was awarded Volunteer of the Year for a group called SOS — Strength over Speed, which is evidently a type of NarcAnon. (Back in the day, we both had problems with methamphetamine.) This award, and Meridjet’s suggestion that he speak to the organizations regarding either paid work or referrals, brought Mel an epiphany.

A little tiny bit of back story: Mel has spent most of his working years employed by either convenience stores or by places that prepare food — not strictly restaurants, though there have been some of those, too. He’s worked in places that cater meals for places like office buildings, and most recently who prepared food for the halfway house that Mel passed through upon his release. (Don’t ask what he was in for. It was nonviolent, however, and he did no one harm.) In these various jobs, he had to deal with the public quite a bit and with larger groups of employees, etc. He’s always had problems with losing his patience (and sometimes his temper) when he gets very busy or stressed at work. So he’s tried to keep himself in jobs that don’t involve interacting with the public.

In his volunteer work, he works specifically with gays who are in recovery. He does a lot of one-on-one work, including counseling of the sort that each of us is called to do when we are trying to help someone cope (as opposed to any sort of official position as a counselor). He realized that he was infinitely more patient with the one-on-one interaction, helping people who were going through the same things he’s gone through. So he was toying with the idea of going to school to be a counselor. Legally, as a convicted felon, he can’t get his license as a certified counselor, social worker, et al in the state of Washington. But we talked about it and I told him, “This is the first time in the 26 years I’ve known you that you ever came up with an idea that felt like a calling. I encouraged him to consider it, and I waxed sort of fantastical:

“If you look into school (and this is a good time of year to do that) and decide to go for it, you’ll have x years (6, possibly, or perhaps only 2 or 3 if what he says about friends of his is true) to gain both education and wisdom. You’ve already been volunteering (constantly) and are clearly dedicated. You know that you can work one-on-one without losing your patience or wanting to thwap someone on the head for not getting what is obvious to you. If you go to school and upon getting out, can’t get your license, so what? You can still volunteer, you’ll still have the education to back up what you’re doing regardless of whether you have a license, and I can totally see you starting a grass roots type of organization to help people — you’ll have all that time in school to contemplate what niche needs to be filled, and to formulate plans to fill it. I think you’ve found your purpose. If you have, the momentum of the Universe will be behind you and things should fall into place. If it turns out you’re too late to get a grant this year, then fine, work for a year and be ready for next year.” I turned him on to Fastweb.com, a site that helps people with grants and scholarships — an excellent resource, if anyone is interested. You can have them send you alerts regarding scholarships or grants that fit your criteria, so that you can keep track of what’s due when.

I’m very excited for him and I really do feel like he’s found where he belongs. I hope he follows it, because I think this is the opportunity that Meridjet was talking about.

Christina went home today. She left early because she was getting stir crazy and her family needed her back. She should be back by August 6, as we are attending a Queensryche concert that night with my friend Tina and various others. She’s decided not to go back to watchmaker school in August, putting it on hold for a while as she sorts out other things in her life. She’s splitting her time between her dad’s in Ft. Worth and her mom’s/grandmother’s in Brownwood (and here, lately). I’ve offered her a place to stay anytime she needs it for as long as she needs it. We could even set her up a space in the main house, though it is still being remodeled. (A two-days-per-week project goes mighty slow, especially when some weeks are skipped.)

As for me, I’m feeling again the need to de-clutter my house, and I want to get this book finished, though the deadline I’ve placed on myself will have to be extended due to so many circumstances beyond my control. However, it’s moving, and that’s the important thing. I will finish is as soon as I possibly can. I’ve already posted the updated Chapter 1 and I’ll get some more up soon. I’d really appreciate it if you readers of the book would comment whenever you think that something should be better explained or expounded upon.

So what kinds of changes are you and yours experiencing? I know this post is all about someone you don’t really know, but I’m proud of my friend and I think he deserves kudos and encouragement. Way to go, Mel! *high five*