Anyways, this blog is not about that show, but it invokes a certain character from that show- namely, the show's main character, the "I" of "How I met your mother"- Ted Mosby. Ted is the freaking man. He's funny and charming and has a great job (that clearly lets him stay out until all hours of the night and engage in endless shenanigans with Doogie Howser) and is cute and...well, you get the picture. If Ted Mosby was a real person, then he would always win People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive who is not Jason Parks award (not to be confused with the Sexist Man Alive) and wannabes like Ryan Reynolds and George Clooney would end up stuck in a sidebar somewhere on the cover of Weekly Us.
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| Like that'll ever happen |
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| See, Keanu Reeves- he gets it |
- "You know what? I'm done being single, I'm not good at it. Look, obviously you can't tell a woman you just met that you love her, but it sucks that you can't. I'll tell you something though, if a woman, not you, just some hypothetical woman, were to bear with me through all this, I think I'd make a damn good husband, because that's the stuff I'd be good at. Stuff like making her laugh and being a good father and walking her five hypothetical dogs. Being a good kisser.."
And I think that's when it hit me- I'm like the Ted Mosby of social work. I'm the guy that would make some human service agency an amazing social worker who is super fun to work with, helps people, and is good at his job. These past couple years of post-grad living have been like my employment bachelorhood- fun jobs, nothing long term- but now I'm ready for The One. I'm ready for that commitment. I'm ready to meet Your Mom.
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| Good one! |
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| PICTURES!!! |
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| Maybe they have a top-notch benefits package... |
But let me tell you what I am- besides a good father and a good kisser.
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| 'Sup. |
I'm able to look at things objectively and from multiple angles. Life doesn't happen like some linear script- it's more like a lottery ball machine, with a myriad of events and people all jostling around and resulting in interesting things with the faux appearance of randomness. So not only do I recognize that things aren't often what they seem- I actively seek out tributaries that might not seem to attach to the big river. Because chances are, they might.
But I also know that I don't know everything- and often times I feel like I don't know anything. So I have the humility to learn from others- including my clients, who are really the experts in their life stories. I'm not afraid to ask questions or to dig a little deeper. If I have an area of weakness, I exploit it by trying to improve it. In college, I took a Gay/Lesbian history class because I recognized that I had a prejudice in this area. I went in with a (not as much as I thought I had) open mind and learned quite a bit. I also made a great friend who happens to be a lesbian. The moral of the story? I'm awesome.
But this awesomeness didn't just happen like some sort of freak lab accident. I have a life story of my own, with its own trials and tribulations. I've been poor. From the get-go, life has been tough. Sara and I jumped into marriage as a couple of naive kids strung out on Peter Cetera songs and romantic comedies- which probably would have been fine if we hadn't got pregnant right away and then decided to move into a group home four months into our marriage. Can you say "Cluster of Stressors"?
Even though life has been tough the last few years, and I feel like we've had to scratch and claw for everything, I also wouldn't trade it for anything (unless it was a few million dollars) because I believe that I've learned from it. And while I know my story doesn't translate into a cure-all, I think it will help me to not only be more empathetic to my clients- but to also to be able to meet them where they're at (and treat them with dignity and respect).
Did I mention that I'm a husband and a father? That means something. Obviously it means that I am motivated to keep my job, since wives and children are expensive to upkeep. But also, it means that I have a sense of commitment and the ability to work through difficult issues. While I wouldn't often classify myself as a "selfless" person, I engage in varying degrees of personal sacrifice every day that I'm alive. It's not always easy and I don't always do the best job- but at the end of the day my family knows that I love them dearly and would do anything for them. Just like I will your clients, hypothetical future employer.
There's so much more that I could say about myself. My unconventional path has given me the skills and tools I need to be good at what I do. And obviously you've picked up that I have a great sense of humor and am an above-average writer. Both of those are merely latent traits in the overall package that is Jason Parks. I guarantee that if you give me a job and pay me money- I will be a darn good social worker. Probably not the best ever- but I'll give you my best, and you'll never even need to say thank you.
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| As long as your insurance covers chronic hoarseness |
Weekly US- http://img1.bdbphotos.com/images/orig/f/9/f924btnpo7nento2.jpg
Bill and Teds- http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/OT4B-NJUcZE/0.jpg
High five- http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZytdDbL_DZU/T3R_qolQPvI/AAAAAAAAACQ/RH0RUUALq0s/s1600/internet_high_five-2496.jpg
Ridiculously photogenic guy- http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/283598-ridiculously-photogenic-guy-zeddie-little
Wedding- http://devasuram.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/worst-wedding-photo-4.jpg
Batman- https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDBOm7yzpg-F4eFP2bXnXDtsKTxcPUBFrqxF-1mGZmOBI8wvk59Ewonvpl_4LdAz4eL9dZjXfXy3IKz2G9gb5gCqxELBQXlFgYQ3q9BbcTtqqgoYzkbrRKoIHbvcBLaElFiStc0WJesM/s1600/936full-batman-begins-screenshot.jpg
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