Posted by Jasper on November 03, 1999 at 17:15:12:
In Reply to: To Hal posted by Jasper on November 03, 1999 at 16:59:51:
: : Yes. I got my B.S. in mechanical engineering, and when I graduated ('93) I couldn't find a job in it. I floundered around for 3 miserable years either unemployed or in some job I hated, and finally decided my only choice was to go back to school and switch fields. This was still in my pre-enneagram, pre-spiritual days, and engineering still seemed like the answer to my life problems, so I got an M.S. in computer engineering. It pays the bills quite well, but I don't find the work very meaningful.
: : - Hal -
: One of the three Enneagram books I have (the Enneagram Made Easy)--this is a fun book--says as a recommendation "Try to Make four Creativity your Career" . Then the next recommendation under that one, "if you can't make your career in a creative endeavor you love and many can't, then make sure to pursue your creativity in your after work hours."
: I am paraphrasing, but anyway, from your post on your vitals above, it seems to me that while the engineering career isn't creative enough or meaningful to you, you seem to be doing all the creative, spiritual stuff in your off hours (the spiritual groups, religion, hiking (I thought I saw that). Maybe to compensation for the lack thereof at work.
: I can totally relate to this. I am in a similar situation in that my 9 to 5er isn't all that exciting, but I am constantly trying new things after work, and this seems to help. Don't knock those creative/spiritual endeavors just because you are not getting paid to do them. They count as much as your job in making up the total person you are. My Uncle, a dentist by trade and a violin player in a somewhat professional symphony here, never asks me when he cleans my teeth about my job, but about my avocations, what he really cares about.
: P.S. While it is not my hobby, my roommate has three beautiful aquariums in our small apartment, the largest 125 gal. containing fresh water cyclids--angels, cory catfish, clown loaches. Watching this six take care of those aquariums inspires me to do my best in my own four ventures.--Jay
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: P.P.S. My brother-in-law started out in engineering, then some years back after suffering depression, switched to business and climbed to an executive level, and seems happier, though he's a keep-silent eight and hard to read and hard to approach sometimes too. But I heard through the family grapevine that he's pursuing a P.h.d. in economics or finance and taking Ti Chi on the side. At the next holiday, Thanksgiving, I will find out the particulars.--Jay
Followup. You are the only person I know from North Carolina so I have got to ask this question. You must understand that I hate talking politics, but since his name seems to be in the news so much these days and he has been representing your state for years, I've got to know:
Does everybody in North Carolina love Jessie Helms? Jay