Situating One’s Path during Cross-Country Construction
by Peter Sammis
When I first decided to move out to Denver, I was beyond excited. Filled with hope, I turned down a secure job, took a road trip with my friend, found an apartment, and moved without having visited previously. It seemed like a great opportunity to start fresh in a completely alien environment—the mountains, the lakes, the views. Everything was gorgeous on first look, and I was set to begin a new chapter in my life. As I settled in to eventually hunt for a job, news coverage of this highly contagious virus started pouring out before everything was shut down within months. This put such a massive halt on the ground that I could glean in my life, completely stunting my ability to meet new people. I continued to apply numerous times for a job but to no avail. Companies simply were not in a position to hire new staff. Nonetheless, I had decided not to clutch hopelessness. I told myself to think that the COVID-19 pandemic would slow down soon to let normality rise resolutely—boy, was I wrong!
Nearly a year and a half later, I am still unemployed and lonely to a certain degree. As it turns out, I picked the worst possible moment in my lifetime to move across the country. To fill the void regarding credentials and contact, I am currently taking classes at Cape Cod Community College (4Cs). As of now, 4C’s Social Media Marketing program is the path that is set to help with these slight absences. Despite being 3,000 miles away, I am able to have a presence, integral interface, on behalf of the glorious help from Zoom. This ability has changed the game for people all across the country! Over the summer, I took a paralegal program at Boston University, which hosted people from all over the place. There were no regional limits, which is something that would not have been offered otherwise. Fortunately, this is true for CCCC as well.
Abashedly, I have stumbled at times to connect to my classes as many surely have. My laptop broke, which had placed me behind the conceptual motions of my classes within the inevitable absences that came to be. Another overt obstruction within my connectivity is the inability to roam around campus, gathering potential material for articles. I am a bit more out of the loop on current events, and not having this opportunity makes it difficult to settle upon the right topic. I also cannot take photographs for the stories that I submit, which is one of the more malleable obstacles. The only other real difference is what the clock says when time starts, but luckily the class doesn’t start at the crack of dawn.
COVID-19 has taken a tragic toll on the world’s familiar activities, but it has also opened many opportunities for further education. The disruption that of much unemployment has left many people with the chance to construct additions or new features [through the gain of credentials] to stabilize their employment beyond the pandemic. The pandemic has been a reminder that nothing in life is guaranteed; every move that one makes could be a potential gamble. If I were to go back in time, I would still likely move to Denver as this experience has been more valuable than a steady job. Well, at least these are the words that create a better night of sleep!
Categories: Editorials, People