Hey -
It’s me, Austin.
Oh, you forgot who I am?
That’s okay; I did too.
Let me tell you a little bit about myself these days:
I’m 27 now. I’m 27, and I’m still a Christian, but that’s been about the only consistent thing in my life throughout my 20s. Faith is important to me, as it’s about the only thing that’s kept me somewhat grounded when everything else flies up in the air in a gigantic tornado and lands about a thousand miles away from me. I go to church, read the Good Book and am fascinated by the concept of being a fallen creation with a story to live and tell.
The unspeakables are as follows: I follow the teachings of Jesus. I’m a democrat. I make enough money.
My day job consists as working as a screen printer and marketer at a local business in the heart of downtown Oklahoma City, Okla. I ended up there by chance on my journey into learning local business because everything else I have tried doing hasn’t worked out so great. This is the first job I’ve ever actually looked forward to doing day in and day out, and I’m grateful to be surrounded by encouragers, creatives and folks who want to make a difference in the community they’re in.
By night, I try to chase dreams. I want to be a writer (still), and I am learning to play the guitar cowboy chord by cowboy chord. I go to the gym, swim and listen to loads of music along the way, and I try to hit up a microbrewery for a trivia night every so often.
Relationally, I’ve got some of the best friends I’ve ever had, though they live 90 miles away, and I’m trying to make even more here in the current city I’m in. I’m trusting myself in a relationship again, after having made some major mistakes in the past, and things are going great as she challenges me, laughs with me and trusts me. I have a church home that I want to get to know more as they get to know me more, and honestly, I think that’s going to work out just fine.
My hobbies include going to coffee shops, absorbing as much music as I possibly can, following my alma mater’s sports programs, playing board games, dabbling in landscape photography and taking in stories that I can relate to.
I’m not the same as I was five years ago, and I won’t be the same five years from now. I mostly just wanted to write this so that you would know who I am today… because it’s my biggest fear that you don’t.
Cheers to breaking fears.
-Cliff
Cliff’s Note: Know yourself.