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By Emmanuel Williams

I started college with the intention that I would make my writing better.

But along the way I have learned many things, and honed many skills. Some I wouldn’t have honed otherwise.

In my freshman year I learned of the Journalism major. I was working as an Event Staff Supervisor, and paying rent with my tuition refunds. Especially when I got my own apartment.

I didn’t learn much about Journalism then, since I dropped the class, furious over being edited by the school paper. I had never been so accosted by multiple red pens at once. And I overreacted.

Big.

So I went after fiction, but had to take care of my General Studies requirements along the way.

I learned the value of Comic Books. I learned how to write a screenplay… and learned just what the term Creative Writing encompasses. 

All while keeping a blog pouring with original content and improving upon it. 

I took a Basic Cooking Skills class which improved my cooking and gave me a taste of the restaurants I always saw Gordon Ramsay in.

Eventually I joined the school paper again as a volunteer. I even applied for the fiction magazine we have.

By far the biggest experience in college has been working for the Music Department as a Music Event Assistant.

With this job I’ve done everything from striking the stage for symphonies, to opening stage doors for prominent guests like the head of the music department, the best conductors in the city, and the president of the university herself.

I even got a gig at the front desk of the jazz building. A concert venue, studio space, and rehearsal spot for student bands, classes, and local and visiting artists.

Here we are in my junior year and I’m still a sophomore by credit accumulation.

Some things didn’t go my way.

Professors who couldn’t translate their syllabus well for online students, or even their lectures.

Early on, I just withdrew from the class knowing I would fail if I stayed. It took too much of that before I knew it was better to fail instead of owing the money for dropping the class.

But dropping classes also cost me that accumulation that would not only make me a junior (officially) right now, but would have me graduating with a Bachelor’s degree instead of the Associates I’ll have to settle for.

There’s more to come from my college experience, though. For at least two more full semesters, then my financial aid dries up.

As we know it.

Then I got married last December and moved in with my wife. My former way of living was fine if it was just me. Whatever consequences, I would face them on my own and could sink incredibly low just to bounce back in just a month or two.

Not anymore. 

Now I am responsible for someone else…

Hang on. I’m gonna need a minute.

Between her innocence and my failures it’s hard to feel very intelligent anymore.

But then I write something requiring that intelligence, and everything just falls into place.

I can’t shake, and may never shake, my love of writing. 

I’ve given up, though, on making it work for me. I realize that such a talent is a financial waste of time.

I’m certainly open to making a dime on my poetry, songs, essays, or speculative fiction, even my journalism.

All skills I’ve perfected in college.

And I’ve been able to put all of it together when I pitch and draft articles for the school paper.

I’ve written about the Middle East and campus protests, our classroom to career program (which just might save my ass in the end), booster vaccination, and a recent story concerning NASA and the Artemis program centered around the recent launch viewed from one of our packed classrooms.

That one is my favorite.

I know I’ll make it.

Strike that… new person… WE. We’ll make it.

It’s a lot of pressure, but I have to shoot for a perfect score. The alternative is being further behind having not done my very shiny brass best.

I’ve turned into a Mercenary over the last couple of days. Ready to use my particular set of skills on any gig available.

But honestly, I’m more in the market for a career than I have ever been in my entire life.

I did just earn my TIPS certificate (and card?) and I’m taking Spirits & Mixology in the fall.

For now I still have the Work Study. They say I can only work 30hrs/wk but I’ve pulled 40 off before with approval.

The question is what happens when these belts are lost and I’m standing there with my pants past my knees and my wife carrying all the weight she can without my contribution.

The thought of hanging her out to dry like that gives me a headache in my soul.

So I think I’m going to keep the mercenary mindset for like, the next year, or until I’m sure I have a career (or a few) that will have us thriving for the next 5-20yrs.

My resume isn’t empty either. 

How about we keep my pockets from insulting it?

#gather 

#mercenary