For as long as I've known you--some 6 years now--your unbending optimism has always served me as a source of inspiration.
At twenty-five--just one year my senior--you've found yourself lodged in a rut. To put it simply, though your life hasn't gone through any major sea change, because you're about to watch close friends leave town and begin a new adventure of their own, the mediocrity of your current circumstances has been magnified. (That this exodus of pals has happened to you twice in as many years only adds to the problem.) And so, as you've said yourself, you can see quite clearly that a) you are tired of your life, and b) you have the power to change your life. Though the problem seems more than solvable, there are, as always, impediments here and there that make the shift from boredom to bliss markedly more trying. You have, for instance, a self-imposed need to finish your degree, a worthy goal that's made even more important by the fact that, in doing so, you'd be the first Sage ever to attain a college education. But, in your bruned-out eyes, this degree holds no real value. And though I can't say that I agree with you on this 100%, I can certainly appreciate your position.
In the end, you want to move to Austin with Thomas (who has a degree and job prospects) and Brittany (who, thanks to Thomas' support, plans on earning her degree there). If you were to live in Austin, your two goals would be a) get serious with Jig City, and b) enroll in the Texas Culinary Institute, both of of which are admirable and, more importantly, completely realistic. These are two endeavors that would fulfill you. In short, regardless of the band's success, moving to Austin might really make you happy. And so, without further ado, and without any real-life considerations (i.e. money, the logistics of where you'd live, where you'd work, etc.) here's what I think you should do.
1-Save your money. Never eat out, drink rarely, and most importantly, work more at the Chimes.
2-Tell your boss at the Chimes that you plan on taking a year off to try out a new life in Austin. Let him know that, in the event that none of this shit works out, you'd like to be able to come back and work there again.
3-Drop out of school. I feel dirty saying that, Mike. I really do. I've spent the past two years telling you never to do this, but the more I think about it, the more I see that a college degree, at least in your situation, won't really help you out too much. That is, if you go to culinary arts school and take that seriously, then you're being a college dropout won't mean shit.
4-Organize a job (likely waiting tables or being a line cook) in Austin. Secure a cheap place to live. Work hard, have fun, and take Jig City to the next level. Please note that y'all finding any major success is extremely unlikely (I'm not naysaying, I'm just being realistic) and try to make a name for yourselves.
5-Begin hammering out the details--costs, etc.--of enrolling in the TCI. Research this seriously and see if you can commit. Plan on enrolling a year after you've lived in Austin.
Do all of this for a calendar year. At that point, If you're happy and can get yourself into the TCI and make the first steps toward a steady, fruitful career, then keep on going. If things haven't played out like you'd imagined, go back to BR, try and get a management job at the Chimes and consider going back to school.
There's so much more to discuss here, but I think this has gone on long enough. I love you, Mike Sage, and, more than anything, I want you experience the very happiness that you so consistently provide other people. Anyhow, in the words of our venerable fraternity, it's time to shit or get off the pot.
At twenty-five--just one year my senior--you've found yourself lodged in a rut. To put it simply, though your life hasn't gone through any major sea change, because you're about to watch close friends leave town and begin a new adventure of their own, the mediocrity of your current circumstances has been magnified. (That this exodus of pals has happened to you twice in as many years only adds to the problem.) And so, as you've said yourself, you can see quite clearly that a) you are tired of your life, and b) you have the power to change your life. Though the problem seems more than solvable, there are, as always, impediments here and there that make the shift from boredom to bliss markedly more trying. You have, for instance, a self-imposed need to finish your degree, a worthy goal that's made even more important by the fact that, in doing so, you'd be the first Sage ever to attain a college education. But, in your bruned-out eyes, this degree holds no real value. And though I can't say that I agree with you on this 100%, I can certainly appreciate your position.
In the end, you want to move to Austin with Thomas (who has a degree and job prospects) and Brittany (who, thanks to Thomas' support, plans on earning her degree there). If you were to live in Austin, your two goals would be a) get serious with Jig City, and b) enroll in the Texas Culinary Institute, both of of which are admirable and, more importantly, completely realistic. These are two endeavors that would fulfill you. In short, regardless of the band's success, moving to Austin might really make you happy. And so, without further ado, and without any real-life considerations (i.e. money, the logistics of where you'd live, where you'd work, etc.) here's what I think you should do.
1-Save your money. Never eat out, drink rarely, and most importantly, work more at the Chimes.
2-Tell your boss at the Chimes that you plan on taking a year off to try out a new life in Austin. Let him know that, in the event that none of this shit works out, you'd like to be able to come back and work there again.
3-Drop out of school. I feel dirty saying that, Mike. I really do. I've spent the past two years telling you never to do this, but the more I think about it, the more I see that a college degree, at least in your situation, won't really help you out too much. That is, if you go to culinary arts school and take that seriously, then you're being a college dropout won't mean shit.
4-Organize a job (likely waiting tables or being a line cook) in Austin. Secure a cheap place to live. Work hard, have fun, and take Jig City to the next level. Please note that y'all finding any major success is extremely unlikely (I'm not naysaying, I'm just being realistic) and try to make a name for yourselves.
5-Begin hammering out the details--costs, etc.--of enrolling in the TCI. Research this seriously and see if you can commit. Plan on enrolling a year after you've lived in Austin.
Do all of this for a calendar year. At that point, If you're happy and can get yourself into the TCI and make the first steps toward a steady, fruitful career, then keep on going. If things haven't played out like you'd imagined, go back to BR, try and get a management job at the Chimes and consider going back to school.
There's so much more to discuss here, but I think this has gone on long enough. I love you, Mike Sage, and, more than anything, I want you experience the very happiness that you so consistently provide other people. Anyhow, in the words of our venerable fraternity, it's time to shit or get off the pot.
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