Day 20: The turtle

Yesterday was Day 20.

Not counting what goes down on Dickson Street every night and at the bikerfests, the trash collection here in Hooterville runs once a week. The good news is that the city has an effective recycling program. The bad news is that sometimes they pick things up at 5:45 a.m. (clank, Clank, CLANK) and if you miss it, you're screwed.

Last week I missed it, so this week I put the full bins out yesterday morning, a full 22+ hours before they would run through the 'hood.

Along the drive was a small, brown lost turtle. Yes, next comes the obvious and trite metaphor. I was a slow starter yesterday.

The turtle does not move fast. But the turtle is determined and has an innate sense of direction. The turtle is deliberate. I, too, have those qualities. In the end, the turtle gets where he wants to be.

Of course, some turtles become roadkill. Better not to think about that.

Anyway. I found two interesting prospects, one in Dallas, and one in SF. Naturally I did some research into each, and the process was time-consuming. I've got two ways of looking at this: either I am moving too slow, or, I am being extremely deliberate.

It took a good chunk of time to focus on the first application. If the turtle did not know where it wanted to go, because it moves so slowly, it could theoretically be in a lot of trouble. It could get too far away from safety and resources it needs to survive. The journey really counts. I see things that interest me all the time. But I have to be a realist and plan my trip. If I expend time and energy chasing something that's not a strong candidate for success, then I might be like that turtle. It could be a fatal error.

So while I might want to apply for the job of Starship Commander, and even think I could be great at it, the reality is that I would be an extreme longshot to get that. Especially in this market. So I look at it, think how fun it would be, and move on to something more sensible.

In some circles, this view could be seen as mature. I'm not known for hanging out with that crowd.

Anyway, some news this morning: The Waste Management folks said no thanks. They had the decency to let me know. I respect that a lot.

Some followup stats from Day 20:

Timesheet: 5 hours.
Researching jobs/prospects: 5 hours.
Jobs applied for: 1 -- Managing Editor, Dallas Child magazine.
Other productive activities: Blog updates, 1 hour.
Nonproductive activities: Web time suckage, 1 hour. Surprised how good I'm being here.
Song for today: "99.9 Fahrenheit Degrees" by Suzanne Vega.