In a few weeks, I will be thirty eight years of age. I usually get reflective in the weeks leading to my birthday. This time is no different than previous years. I often asked myself this question in Latin “Quo Vadis?” It means “Where are you going?” Where am I going in this journey called life. From this question I usually determine whether to make course corrections or stay the course. This method has served me well as an individual. It is not a perfect method, but it is what works for me.

I received an honorable discharge from the US Navy in September of 2012. I did not seek to adjust to life after the military. I was focused on just getting job, and I was not interested in making the ground beneath my feet sturdy. I found a job at a pharmaceutical company in Illinois. It was a job, but it was not a career. I worked for two years there, and they terminated me. Afterward, I went through series of roads that were not helpful. I then found an internship at Rush University Medical Center. This internship helped in ways I did not imagine. I learned through this internship that I need my fellow veterans. I now try to attend Veterans meeting groups, and it rekindle my love for information technology. Anyway, it is what it is.

I am still single, and I am not complaining about that. I actually enjoy my life as a single man. However, my father and some of his peers do not enjoy the fact that I am single. They have attempted to play matchmaker on multiple occasions, but they have not succeeded. I am not going to get into why they have not succeeded, because it is another subject for another time. I am not against the idea of marriage, and I think it is a great institution. I also believe that marriage is not for everyone. I hope to get married one day, but I will not be angry if I don’t get married. I enjoy being an uncle to many of my friends’ children.

I learned through my experiences that I prefer being in the driver of my life, and I need to get back in the driver seat. I will take the necessary steps to be in the driver seat and not being a passenger in my own life.