#21

Today was a sad day for many people across the country. The Washington Redskins star safety, Sean Taylor, passed away in a Miami-area hospital early this morning.

Sean was injured by an intruder who may/may not have been a robber in his home early Monday morning. Two gunshots were fired, the one hit severing his femural artery causing a huge loss of blood. Sean's girlfriend and baby were present in the house and called 911 immediately. He was airlifted to the nearest trauma center where he underwent 7 hours of surgery. Immediate family and Redskins team members flew down to be with him yesterday. After surgery, Sean was listed in critical condition, with doctors concerned that there would be brain damage because of the severe blood loss. The last report from the hospital in the evening was somewhat positive as Sean made just the slightest turn for the better by squeezing the doctor's hand at request and making some facial expressions/movements. We (the fans, Seans family and friends) were hopeful that this was a tiny step on his way to recovering from this horrible event.

Unfortunately, there won't be any recovery. The trauma from injury and blood loss was too much. Sean was only 24 when he passed away. He was a new father, and was engaged to be married. He was on track to having his best season as a top safety in the NFL. What was the beginning of a very promising life was cut short by a horrible act of violence.

There are a lot of speculation as to what happened in the Taylor home that morning. Some speculators think because of growing up in a bad neighborhood of Miami or whatever bad ties he made at the U, that what happened to Sean Taylor was highly probable or even inevitable. I disagree. Everyone through rough patches on their way to adulthood, and everyone has the choice to decide what path they are going to take. So while Sean did get into trouble with the ATV incident several years ago, he also chose to amend his life after it and live fully by playing his sport and focusing on his family. He didn't deserve to have someone else decide how things were to turn out for him.

As a football fan, I am saddened by the loss of a dynamic player who was passionate about the game and demonstrated that in every play on the field. We will never know what Sean's full potential would have been as an athlete. As a person, I mourn for his family and friends-- no one should have to experience something as tragic as the loss of a son, a significant other, a father in such a brutal way and so early in life.

Random Acts

Things have been a little hectic with my life the last couple weeks, so I apologize for not blogging sooner. In anticipation of multiple posts of my recent trip to New York, here's a quickie to tide you over...

I've been at home chilling out after my last temp (3 month) assignment ended, trying to enjoy a little me time amidst all the interviews and mulling over job opportunities. Anyway, I went out to run a few errands the other day, and as I walked down the street, a girl passed me walking the opposite direction. She was sobbing intensely. Made me wonder what/who happened to her for her to be so sad. I felt fortunate to only have what I think are "troubles" right then.

Ten minutes later, I stopped at Chipotle for a soda -- it was almost 90 degrees here! As I reached to pay, the guy at the register (aka "the Manager") told me that my drink was on the house. I thanked him, and left thinking, there are still good people out there!

Decisions, Decisions

It's been awhile since I last posted; I feel like the days are flying by lately. As previously mentioned, I've been temping while looking for a job. For awhile there, I thought I was getting complacent in my search because I was working a long-term assignment with no specific end date, taking interviews here and there and not finding anything very exciting or interesting to do.

I wondered about my level of disdain and came to several conclusions:

1) Though I made a great living in my real estate career, I do not love real estate. I was very lucky to have worked with great people and blessed with great projects. But success does not come easy to everyone who gets into the industry. It is a roller coaster, and you have to decide when you want to get off the ride.

2) I have and will always have a deep interest in the law. My goal growing up was to be a lawyer; a great lawyer, in fact. It took the last couple years for me to learn that life is not something you can nor should you want to plan. If you really love something, you'll find your way back to it.

Which brings me to right now. I'm still interviewing, but mostly away from real estate. After much deliberation, I've decided to take the LSAT and apply for law school! CD is very supportive of my renewed aspiration. So I'm looking for job opportunities that will allow me to pursue my interest in law and enhance my personal life. The ideal job is low-stress, pays decent/well, and where work stays at work. This is something I have never fully experienced in my career so it will be somewhat foreign and take some adjustment. There is a lot of potential out there. I know that real estate will always be there for me if I want to go back to it, but now is not a bad time to see what else I can achieve. Life's too short to not take a leap.