When I was young, like everyone else . . . Ok maybe not like everyone else. I wanted to be in a relationship with a good woman, have a good career, and start a family. There were some bumps in the road along the way. I changed my major a bunch of times so I got sidetracked in my career. I got engaged once and it sidetracked me relationshipwise and career wise. But at 33 I'd found a good job in a field I liked working in, books. I married a woman, and we had a child soon to be born. And shortly I was going to grad school to advance in my career. What in the world could go wrong?
Sure we had a major recession that the country felt hard to get out of. Yes, the dream marriage turned out to be somewhat less of a dream. I did have the perfect child and I had prospects everywhere with my degree. Still on the right path.
Then Divorce fell like a big chopping block to my life. On the one hand, I would say that it's the most traumatic moment of my existence. I felt trapped by my ex, my job, and living situation. But I decided I wouldn't just sit there. I was going to do something about it. No my career hasn't turned out the way I would have liked. But I'm working for a wonderfully supportive boss who has given me amazing opportunities to do things I love. I have separated myself from a crazy relationship that was spiraling out of control. And I have a beautiful, amazing daughter, who has taught me more about myself and about life than I could possibly imagine.
Whatever seemed to start out wrong, has ended up spectacularly right. So now I'm sharing that journey with you. There will be ups and downs along the way but that is all a part of life's amazing journey. I hope that you will ride along with me on this journey and I hope to make amazing friends along the path. And as Andy Duphresne said in Shawshank Redemption, "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things. And a good thing never dies." I hope this blog finds you, and it finds you well.
David Elliott, Single Dad's Guide to Life
