Notifications

So, this week has been going pretty much like normal. Working a lot and attempting to stay positive about things. I've been successful, pretty much, about staying positive towards how much I work and how very little free time I have. We've even been able to get ahead as far as Saturday Service Learning planning. That alone is a huge improvement.

Tonight on the bus ride home, I think I slept (or passed out) for a minute or two (I am so freaking tired all the time!) and when I woke up, my eyes were immediately drawn to a man and woman sitting across from me. I had noticed when the two had both sat there and was pretty sure that they were not together. However, the man's hand was right up next to the woman's butt and it looked like he had one of his fingers in her back pocket. I immediately thought that my first observation was wrong (I am a pretty observant fella when I'm not drunk). I didn't really pay it any mind until the woman got up, alone, and moved to an open seat towards the front of the bus.

Then things started to click: this man was actually being a butt head. A real live butt head sitting right across from me!

I thought: "Wow, so this is one of those men that gives the rest of us bad reputations."

He compounded the issue when he gathered up this obnoxious suitcase (it was freaking unzipped, mind you, on a metro bus) and slid over into her old seat. I was like "Is he really going to do what I think he's going to do?"

Yes, he was. He got up when the bus started moving again (this is two stops after the woman has moved) and sat right next to her in the front. The look she gave him was priceless. She wasted absolutely no time in moving back into her old seat directly across from me (if you are not familiar with buses, there are some seats that run along the bus where the passengers face one another and have their knees towards the isle - this is where we were sitting on our bus). The man stayed where she left him the second time, thankfully, but he totally succeeded in turning her off.

Here's your notification, fella: You, sir, are a douche bag.

Another interesting thing happened today. I called my mom to tell her some good news and during the conversation she accidentally let it slip that my brother, Jake, is getting married. Apparently he asked his current girlfriend (now his fiance?) to marry him over Christmas. She only found out a week ago when he needed to get some information from her (how to spell her ridiculously Polish maiden name) and did so via email.

What the fuck? Is that how you tell your mom that you're getting married? I know that our mom hasn't particularly been around for most of our lives, but we were raised to be better than that. We were fucking raised to be gentlemen (yeah I know, I fail, but he didn't until this shit).

Then I realized... this fucker hadn't even told me! I'm his damn brother! The ONLY person on this planet with almost the exact same DNA as his shitty ass, the ONLY person on this planet who put with him for the entire time he's been alive, and the ONLY person who knows exactly what kind of life he has lived.

What the fuck?

I haven't seriously talked to Jake since I came to Seattle. I've called, numerous times, once even got to talk to him only to find out that he only wanted to get our mom's information from me. He promptly hung up afterwards. Then, another time, I talked to him for all of five minutes until he said he was going to hang up so he can call his girlfriend. That's only listing the two times I've had a conversation with Jake since I moved here in August. There are also many other times where I called and never received a call back.

So, I gave up. His ass can call me. One thing that you need to know about me is that I'm not a chaser. I don't go after people after a certain amount of effort. If they are not willing to respond back in kind, or at least show interest, then I stop putting forth the effort. I tried hard with Jake because he's my damn brother. The only sibling of five that I am really really close to.

I called my dad to find out how long he's known. Apparently, he knew way back before Christmas even that the two of them were talking about getting married. And he also knew when she said yes. What the hell!? Am I crazy!? Is this normal!? How the fuck can you keep something like this a secret?

My own damn brother is getting married and NO ONE WANTS TO TELL ME!

Jake, here's your notification: You, brother, have just become a douche bag as well.

On a lighter note: I got some great news while at work today.

There is an event coming up for City Year called Ripples of Hope. It's a gala type of event; basically, a really big deal. All of the corps members have certain roles to play during this event but none of us really knew about there being important roles as well. I signed up for networking and to be placed at one of the dinner tables to keep guests company.

This event is supposed to be huge and I didn't want to miss a chance to get my name out there. Screw not knowing these people, I was going to whore myself out socially.

However, I may not really get a decision in this.

My boss comes up to me today and asks if he can speak to me. I think I'm in trouble again, but go along with it. He tells me that me and another corps member (I'm not sure if she knows yet, so I am not going to put her name on here) have been selected to present an award to a pretty well known individual.

The Bill Gates Foundation has a done a lot of terrific things. So terrific, that I am not even really sure what they are! But, it looks like I'm going to have to find out since I, and this other corps member, will be presenting the award to the current presidents of this organization Bill and Minnie Gates (the dad and stepmother of the famously rich Bill Gates). That means, she and I will be standing up on stage with these two while a whole array of guest speakers talk about them and then we will thank them, present them with awards and CY jackets, and pose in pictures with them. Wow. What's more is that she and I will also be sitting at their table for the dinner and engaging everyone in conversation for the night. Holy shit. Here's me, barely making it paycheck to paycheck suddenly being seated with and conversing with people who could buy a billion people like me. Much less totally trump all of the good I've done with the tremendous amounts of positive changed they've affected. Talk about overwhelming.

But that's not it.

After letting a bit of that settle in, my boss opens up a folder and inside there is a picture of me with my first name next to it and a quote about why I serve that I had written awhile ago.

I am the new freaking poster boy for City Year...!

Or, at least, City Year Seattle/King County.

How do things like this happen? Why was I chosen? The kids are the only thing that keep me going, not the organization, yet here I am, about to have my face plastered on a poster with something mushy written next to it. I am amazed.

And I will admit, I almost cried when I found out.

Here's my notification: You, Josh, have got a lot more work to do before you can die.

Adios.