Job

      Once again I failed to get a job that could have really made a difference in my life. My assault conviction is almost 20 years old and I continue to pay the price. I do whatever it takes to stay positive and try to improve myself. My children keep me grounded and thankful for each day. I keep reminding myself that my situation can be much worse than what it is now. Nevertheless, it stings when I am being judged because of what is on paper.      All of the recent violence across the country does not help. There was another school shooting not so long ago and a University of North Carolina Graduate student was murdered here in NC. When an application runs across the desk of human resources, all they see is a violent felony and who could blame anyone for playing safe. Some employers give me an opportunity to explain my conviction and nearly all of those employers hired me once they recognized the time that has gone by and the things I have done with my life thus far. The right job is waiting out there for me somewhere. I am not my past.