Growth – Just Another Day…

A venture that just kinda came outta nowhere…

Posted on January 31, 2021 by anele25

It’s about 9:24PM on a Sunday night and I’m getting ready for the week but thought I would write a post about something that happened almost a year and a half ago. In September of 2019, I decided to head back to Target. I’ve documented some things about Target on this blog but nothing out of the ordinary for someone who was young and looking to earn some money in his college youth. I was gone for approximately 1631 days from Target but I learned the value of being courteous and respectful towards people who could do nothing for you but in the end, they ended up having a better impression of who it was you were and what Target could do for them. I remember most of the time they were the simplest of questions like where is the toilet paper or where is laundry detergent but that impression of getting something for the guest really helped me get over my shyness and my social awkwardness towards people. I came back with the idea of doing Target as a part time job because it would be a nice supplement to my job at the time which was research coordinator at Sutter Health.

The research coordinator position was in oncology and I saw there was some opportunities for growth. I also was told at the beginning of this assignment that the role would be temporary with no real timeline for when my assignment would end. I had a feeling that because it was to cover someone who was going on maternity leave, it would be a few months after their child was born. I realized that it wouldn’t be easy balancing two jobs but for what it was at the time, its kind of helped me see that not everything can be easy unless there are challenges along the way. That first week proved to be one of the hardest sets of shifts I had worked because I worked 8-4AM that first set of days but eventually I settled into a schedule working 7-11:45PM. I slowly would work my way into getting a set schedule and realized if this was going to work, I would need one day of rest off which would end up being Sunday. At the end of October of 2019. I got the word that my assignment was over with Sutter Health and my last day would be November 6^th 2019. I left with my head held up high and full of enthusiasm for what was next. I spent the next several months applying to more than 100 jobs I would say and it was tough to say the least. I got an interview here and I even got the word that the places where I interviewed were considering me for a position but after following up on several of these, I never got anything back.

However, target did me a big favor around this time because it allowed me to continue working at a time when I had little to nothing of income. Target also gave me something I was missing before and that was the ability to work with a new generation of workers. Gone were the times when after work, we would go out to eat at a local restaurant or going to work out after work because simply put most days we have to work the next day unless it’s a weekend. Now, I was and am still focused on “putting over” the new crop of workers. It also helps that I’m not as nervous or have trouble staring people in the eye. I can mix the idea of having fun and being serious because that’s what life is. But then, something funny happened in March of 2020. California and the rest of the world started experiencing a pandemic and all of a sudden, I was now a part of the front line. Those first few days everyone shopping for toilet paper, detergent, hand sanitizer, and wipes was quite overwhelming. As the days passed, we would get products but those products were gone in an instant. I also had the looming idea that I was still only working at target and just that alone was not a steady income but I was grateful for that alone. A month or so passed after the shutdown happened and I started again applying to places again in April. The weeks passed and after several interviews got an opportunity to work at a regenerative medicine company and have been there ever since June of 2020. With target and my current job at this company, I realized it’s okay to see that one job sometimes may not be enough.

I felt that if I worked two jobs, I would be seen as less but in fact I’m grateful and blessed to be able to still work at both jobs during the current pandemic, Even during the holiday season, I realized how lucky I was because most people around the world would not be able to have the same luxury of celebrating with loved ones who may have passed away. I survived working two jobs during the pandemic and during a holiday season that felt different than most. I got a kick out of people that everyday were looking for the PlayStation 5 because of how hot of a commodity it was. I also felt happy to do my main job at the regenerative medicine company without having to call out sick to target. Just overall, 2020 may have had a crap beginning with the pandemic and shutdowns but in my opinion, it ended with a bang. 2021 is off to a good start because I’m still learning and crafting my skill set in life, at work, at home, and in other endeavors. You don’t have to be the world’s best cook or best anything you just have to be able to say I can do this if I have the support and backing of family, friends, and acquaintances because no one does it on their own. The cream always rises to the top and with that comes great sacrifice and great time learning things. I hope I can continue down this path without any major interruptions. But mostly, I would like to thank Target for giving some confidence back on assisting people shopping and just with people in general. I mentioned earlier this idea of “putting over” team members is one reason I enjoy this the 2^nd time around and I really do enjoy it even more so that I think about it. I hope one day this idea of having two jobs pays off.

Writing prompts #8: Write about one of your most embarrassing moments:

Posted on April 22, 2018April 22, 2018 by anele25

On my 29 years on this earth, I can’t think of many things which stand out more than embarrassing moments. I can say that I have had a few embarrassing moments throughout my life. For example, when I think of this I can harken back to when I had a little accident in elementary school. There is another incident which I will point out in the 2^nd half of this blog but this one I wanted to share first. It was Mrs. Sunderland’s 1^st grade class and I clearly remember this moment. It was just like any other day where we gathered around and we were hearing our lessons on reading and writing. I then all of a sudden to go to the bathroom. As a little kid, the feeling of embarrassment was new to me and I felt almost a scared feeling because I don’t think up that point I had ever asked to go to the bathroom during a lesson. I got up during the lesson and before I had known it I had literally crapped my pants. They took me to the nurse’s offices and I couldn’t control my diarrhea that day. I remember sitting in the bathroom in the nurse’s office and feeling ashamed. I didn’t know whether my classmates would think any differently of me. One of my friends who I still talk to this day remembers the incident and always eggs me about it. In a way, I felt the incident was good for me because getting embarrassed is a part of a life where you can laugh a little at yourself. Looking back, I was a kid and I didn’t know what that feeling was like yet and I felt as if the world was judging me. They were judging me because I was not accustomed to these feelings of shame and I did not know that idea of fear inside of me. I sat there for a few minutes until my uncle’s wife came and had to tend to me until I could gather my thoughts inside. I also had some toilet paper that was hanging from my side as I once again could not believe that this had happened to me. I was wondering at that time about what were my classmates up to and little did I know they were doing something much different than I would have imagined. I had imagined they were inside of the classroom learning some math or what have you.

Anyway, I sat there for a few more minutes until I could walk away for a little. I walked out and saw my uncle’s wife wearing her purple McDonald’s shirt and I just thought what just happened. I was sitting inside the classroom and all of a sudden I could not control what was inside of me. I walked outside and there were my classmates playing recess and I was sitting there wondering there what was happening. Thus ended one of my most embarrassing moments of my childhood. I want to touch upon one of my 2^nd most embarrassing moments which was when I fell during a dance with my mom almost 15 years ago. I was not the most experienced of dancers and I remember dancing and almost falling which has to rank amongst one of my most embarrassing moments. Embarrassment isn’t always bad because it allows you to grow and see what else is ahead in life. I leave everyone with this, don’t be embarrassed that these moments be happy because you were able to grow and learn from these experiences. Till next time everyone.

Going Mobile…

Posted on January 21, 2015 by anele25

The fun filled year of 2014 brought me some pain, joy, happiness, and sometimes frustration but I’ve began to discover new things about myself. I finally understand what I want out of life. Not that I have the meaning to life , but I have found some sense of purpose in my life moving forward. It wasn’t long ago that I was content just sitting at home and not doing much other than going back and forth doing the same thing 5-7 times a week. In the past month, I’ve transferred from my old work location and moved to a new store. The store isn’t as well staffed but the opportunity to work with new, younger talent is enticing. My schooling is going great and even though it may not be perfect (why should it be?), I’ve made new friends and have kept some of the same ones from previous years and semesters. I’ve said that being on your own can be kind of scary but when you’re moving from location to location and you know how to navigate yourself, what’s there to be afraid of? Not too long ago, I wrote a paper describing my mom’s struggles and her ability to move to a new country when she was 24. I can’t imagine the fear and the pain that goes through someone’s head when they are going through that phase of their life. I know that my mom was happy enough that she decided to stick it out and settle down here in the United States. Even speaking Spanish, and not any English must have been somewhat of a scary thought because you are thinking in the back of your head that what if I don’t make it here in the United States? My point here being that I’m no longer that afraid to approach new situations and new locations in life. Just in the past year, I’ve gone to places I wouldn’t have imagined I would go to. For example, in June my brother, mom, and niece went to Disneyland for my birthday which seemed out there but we did it anyway. I’ve also been to Seattle which at first sounded like a sedentary place to go on a trip but my friend and I said what the heck let’s give it a shot. The trip as you can see here was awesome:

I found myself in this different type of mode because instead of being in my normal mood, I found it soothing that we were in a different city with different kinds of people. Case in point, instead of being quiet and not really talking to anybody, I was talking with anyone that seemed interested in having a conversation. I would talk to them about wrestling, football, and even baseball. Not taking anything away from the Bay Area, but having the opportunity to talk to people from another part of the country felt right. I told my friend Ricky that doing this was worth it because we got a different perspective from the northwest where I wouldn’t have even dreamed of going in my lifetime.

I also happened to go to Hawaii recently and here are some pictures that prove that our adventurous and raunchy style of living doesn’t hurt anybody in the end:

In a way the trip that took place two weeks ago opened my eyes to a world that I’ve never known. I met people that were funny, witty, and smart. There were those I appreciated for their candid open spirit. I would want to go back and expand upon my social settings because I feel I haven’t scratched the surface yet when it comes to holding a conversation and bantering with people. One day I will go back and I can feel that growth is a part of life that never ends. I started this blog almost 5 years ago and though it has slowed down, I will continue to update with any crazy adventures I may have in the future. I am almost done with school and I feel that I have to focus on finding a real job once I am done. It is exciting yet wonderful because I can begin a career or continue my schooling with a master’s degree. With this, I see that my life has meaning because I have been given opportunities to do anything I want. I sometimes see others that have less than I and I truly am blessed that I am where I am because when something is given to you, you must take it and run with it as fast as possible but at some point you may slow down. Happy new year everyone and keep striving!