Being a Professional

Thursday night I was part of a career panel organized by the Georgetown Career Center for NorCal students home for winter break. It was held in the offices of some nonprofit in the Presidio. I got up there with a lawyer, a nurse, a former ambassador, a marketing exec, a Googler and a product manager for Levi's – six of us, all Gtown alums – and shared some of the lessons I'd learned at my two jobs and working for myself.

Then I went out drinking. Remember the crowd of drunk guys living on our neighbor's stoop for two weeks? Well it was their last night in town, and I went with them to some dingy dive in the Richmond called "Would You Believe? Cocktails." We went ordered dollar shots by the dozen and when we were full of Jack, we lit a doobie and passed it around while walking to Buckshot.

When I got home, Diego was in the living room, playing NHL '12.

"How was the career panel?" he asked as I stumbled in, "What did you talk about?"

I rubbed my bloodshot eyes, teetered toward bed, and answered, "Professionalism."