ON THE BAG HUNT

People act as if turning thirty or forty is such a huge deal, but if you ask me, turning twenty was damn near a midlife crisis. I don't know what it was about the "teen" dropping from my age, but it had me feeling like I was bigger than everything around me; Everything including my reliable full time job.

In my third year of counting and cutting boxes, I started to think about what my next moves might be. The year 2019 had barely started, and there was one week in particular that I'd said to myself several times, "I gotta' find somethin' different", "I want more than this."

God must have been listening to my whispers, because that very same week I ran into some drama that led to a termination. Yeah, they fired me. For an incident so unfair, but seemingly divine. (I get into details in another story titled Picky Playerz.)

So anyways,

After calling out my crooked bosses (and getting banned from the store for two years), it was back to the drawing board. And this time? I was determined to level up. I wanted a position that felt more rewarding; More sophisticated even.

Unfortunately, I soon realized that the elevation I desired called for more time than I had. In a life where BILLS don't sit down to take a break, you might mess around and lose every last penny waiting for doors to open in different fields—especially if you lack the right tools.

By the grace of God, I manifested a change of scenery in the nick of time, but even so, I knew the days in that role wouldn't last forever. When the moment came for me "outgrow" my job again, I wouldn't go to the gate of opportunity emptyhanded like before.

A month into my new job, I sat silently at the front desk, suited in a crisp, plaid button-up and a silver watch. The race was over and it was time to reflect. The things I discovered on the hunt for fatter checks helped me formulate a few valuable tactics, so of course, I just had to pick up my pen.

Written June 7, 2019:

"As of February, I was let go from a job that I was too good for (if I say so myself). It was a blessing in disguise from the start. For the first time in a few years, I was thrown back into a job search and my contentment was compromised."

"There's something so humbling about being put in the position of a 'candidate' and having doors closed in your face. To an ambitious man, the pursuit of opportunity empowers both his mind and work ethic."

"This time around, I found myself being more mindful of my attitude towards situations. I was very careful to treat myself not like a victim, but instead, a student. Being in between jobs has taught me a few noteworthy lessons to consider as I move forward."

Starting light, I'd like to make a better effort to enumerate my accomplishments

"By holding ourselves accountable for what we innovate and what we accomplish, we better exhibit ourselves as valuable assets."

"As far as keeping a track record goes, that seems to be the obvious. The lesson is not so much about the 'keeping track', but more so in doing it meticulously. One must make the effort to OUTREACH and SEEK any information that represents him."

Wherever it may exist; Whomever's hands it may be in. (Even if that means going to someone's office every month and demanding a thing or two to be printed out for you.)

Next on my list is prioritizing BIG and small tasks

"A key in success is consistency and practice, which oftentimes can make us become accustomed to routines. In the midst of our hustle, we may try to tie new obligations into old systems."

"This practice is GOOD in the sense that all of your endeavors are getting attention, but BAD in the sense that you're spreading yourself too thin. When it comes to time-sensitive pursuits or obligations (especially those which affect your financial state), we have to modify our routine to favor what's most important."

"This era has taught me the importance of prioritizing on a bigger scale and temporarily sacrificing the practices that have indefinite ends to give more time to the ones that don't."

In other words, temporarily SACRIFICING the things you always do in order to donate EVERY last minute to things with deadlines or added pressure. Keep in mind, a deadline can also just mean "before you go broke."

The next most important lesson is relative to the last

"In the sense that it deals with 'routine changes.' However, this lesson highlights the importance of being able to change them more quickly. In some cases, our routines can be given additional tasks. In other cases, the rug can be pulled right from beneath us, and the normal structure of our lifestyle can start to crumble. In these moments, we may find ourselves unable to continue our usual patterns."

"In light of our hindrance, our inabilities, and our losses, we must roll with the punches and quickly adapt. This era of my life has taught me the importance of implementing immediate reform. A succeeder must be sharp enough to quickly accept a situation and build a new structure in accordance with its demands."

"We cannot allow our foundation to completely disappear because we are clinging to the norms that are no longer. Moving forward in my life, I'd like to be more inclined to reevaluate and adapt to new demands more expeditiously."

THIS body of knowledge

is one I'm glad to say has never fallen by the wayside. Even to this day, in 2026, the practices expressed in this writing are practically second nature. At this very moment, I'm a trainee in a new role, calculating my rookie season tips just to flex it on my resumé.

When it's all said and done, you have to operate like the chase is never over; The HUNT is always on. When you keep in mind the idea that nothing lasts forever, you better equip yourself for new beginnings. Better yet, you increase the chances of your next bag being a bigger one.

Anyways,

as much as I enjoy conversation about opening doors, I know sometimes having the keys is simply not enough. Before we get wrapped up in finding new territory, we have to keep in mind that every kingdom has its guardians. Sometimes you gotta' slay a dragon just to reach the treasure. It looks like I might have to reserve an entire new text for the battle waiting at the gate.

Look out for the next title Juked the Gatekeeper on Vocal!