The Lost Decade

1999 through 2008
Working Construction

1998 through 2003
Ceased Creating

In one way, my "career" for 9 years was a waste of my soul, but at the same time it afforded a comfortable lifestyle and definitely a good bit of fun, sometimes even directly related to the job itself in the form of Working Vacations and countless free dinners, parties, concert tickets, nearly all occasions of which featured an endless bounty of salads, bread, meat, and alcohol. So at times I do feel like What A Waste, especially because once I was shunned by the industry I have yet to worm my way back in (and yes indeed, I have tried), but during the Good Ol' Days I suppose that, outside a few unique instances of utter distaste for all things building supply, I cannot hate my time therein.

However, for the 5 year span that I was not creating a single god damn useful thing, I can't say I'm too satisfied with that aspect of my existence. Between the ages of 19 and 24, where most people are truly discovering themselves attempting to work out what they want to do with their lives, or at least busy putting off the Hard Stuff until later so they can try to write a novel, see the world, screw everything that moves, or engage themselves into any other carefree activity while society deems it A O K to do so before having to finally really truly actually absolutely Grow The Fuck Up, no, I was too busy getting drunk and stupid as often as humanly possible. Not that I didn't have an immense amount of fun during that age, and even did The Responsible Thing by getting my Bachelor's degree during said tenure, but I do not look back at that era and think "yes, I accomplished a lot." Rather, I realize just how aimless and ambling it all truly was, which honestly did not cease until I picked up the pen and bass once again sometime around 2003.

It was only at that point that I reestablished things I had started as a teenager, and subsequently ignored for this substantial stretch as a young adult. During high school I wrote and played in bands, for college I ignored it all in favour of the bottle (of course, not like I did not enjoy that before and have not since, but certainly not to the extent that I did from ages 19 through 24). Since that time I have played in numerous bands and have written countless loads of bullshit, a few times even making a buck or two (definitely not more than three though). Sometimes I wonder why I didn't continue all this nonsense throughout those ages, since I feel so passionately about them today, at the Should Have Put Away Childish Things By Now age of 30. Maybe it is because I had short hair and was voting Republican at the time. Fuckers.