Began classes on Sunday. First impression- I am by far the youngest person taking this course! They�re all at least ten years older than me, and I imagine they all make at least twice what I do, likely more. In the class, we have two guys who own their own business, two lawyers, one from the manufacturing sector (I think that guy�s a department head or something), two girls from Canadian Blood Services, one from the Board of Education, and so on. I�m the only one working in food service. They all looked at me like I was nuts.

It�s a good thing I am not easily discouraged. I felt much better half-way through the afternoon, when I realized that I already had a better grasp on this material than the lawyers, and far more than the guys running their own business. And I look at it this way- if I don�t want to be working in food service for the rest of my life, if I want to advance in my career in any way� this is the first step to doing it. Applying myself and working hard is the only way I can make that happen. I�m taking the initiative to educate myself and get farther than I would if I just the basic job duties my job involves and no more. I have to remind myself- everything that I have in this world, I have fought for and won. Maybe that sounds a little extreme or dramatic, but I can think of a time when I had to choose between buying medication to be able to breathe or buying food. I lived in a tiny apartment infested with a plague of mice of Biblical proportions. I didn�t have much in the way of confidence. All that�s changed now, and it�s because I worked for it. I can continue to improve my lot, and all I have to do is be willing to work for it.

I�d better go get my shoes on and get moving. I�m working the day shift for most of this week, and I don�t want to be late.