Jeremy's Blog

As I sit here tonight, I struggle to find the words to describe the emotional and exciting past few days. The past few weeks have been trying both mentally and spiritually. I somehow found myself caught up in a whirlwind of depression and desperation. My new job is great but can be very lonely at times. I deal with families who require a lot of patience and attention. While I do not regret my decision to begin this type of work, it is very draining. There is a lot of negative energy present, a negative energy that has somehow infiltrated my core. The complete lack of social interaction mixed with the beginning of a new semester, decreasingly less favorable weather, and stress finally took its toll and I began to break down. I wasn’t me and as a result, I wasn’t acting like myself. Friendships were affected and I started feeling hopeless.

This weekend marked the beginning of something new. I feel as though I had hit rock bottom and there was nowhere else to go but up. This Saturday I met an amazing person. She and I clicked instantly! It was much more than a physical attraction. It really felt like a test of fate or the connection of two people destined to meet. While I realize the concepts of fate and destiny are questionable in both the minds of my readers and myself, there really is no other way to describe it. There were so many commonalities and desirable traits. This girl can dance, sing, is self-motivated and strongly independent. There’s a common calling to make a positive influence in the world. We even have similar tattoos, which is really out there considering I designed my tattoo myself. Last night we spoke on the phone for about two hours and I loved finding out more about her. I’m looking forward to see what develops from all this.

On a final note, I made amends with someone I had wronged and have become active in helping lead youth group on the Air Force Academy. My youth minister and dear friend from high school is the director of youth ministry there and I forgot how refreshing it is to work with “normal” youth who have a passion and positive outlook on life.

It seems like although I hit rock bottom, I’m quickly on the rebound and things are really starting to look up again. In a sense, I’m returning to a state of equilibrium. I’m finding the right balance mentally, spiritually, and physically. There’s nothing but happiness pouring out of me!

Wow! Can you believe it is already the middle of the weekend? Time seems to slip by so quickly these days. This last weekend I celebrated my 26th birthday and I am so thankful for the friends who were able to make it such a special occasion. We went out for a night on the town and then had dinner on Tuesday. It’s events like these that remind me how meaningful the people in my life are. As one of my closest friends said, “It’s gonna be a great year!”

Work is going well and I’m really getting to know my new job. I’m getting another kiddo or two on my caseload on Monday which means there’s a little more job stability. As someone in the company said there comes a point when the organization starts to wonder if you’re needed, I kinda worried if I needed to begin looking for another job. Thankfully, I don’t anticipate making any significant changes to my long-term plans. Things at the hospital are also going pretty well! No injuries to report and I’m working less and less. Soon, I’ll be comfortable enough financially to only have to work one job. Then I’ll have more time to focus on school and a little bit more on my lacking social life.

Finally, I wanted to take a brief moment to remember the significance of today’s date, 9/11. Today is the ninth anniversary of the terrorist attacks resulting in the death of countless Americans. Many innocent people died over a difference in beliefs and values. Unfortunately, there are those among us who without regard to the consequences are interested in further violence and hatred. For those of you who are unaware, someone had the bright idea of burning the Quran, a symbol of the Islamic faith. In an attempt to express their negativity, they will only bring further conflict and suffering. Why must American’s continue giving the world a reason to hate and despise us?

Let’s try this again!! So I’m back to having a little down time and I wanted to let you all know that I’ve started a new job in the beginning of August. I’m working with a company called CBR Youth Connect as a Preventative Aftercare Service Provider. It is pretty much the same thing as a case worker. Basically, I work with families and youth to prevent placement into a treatment facility. It’s quite the change from working non-stop at Cedar Springs. Last week, I found myself stressing out because I realized I really don’t know what to do with free time. I finished my academic quarter a whole two weeks early and completely cleaned my apartment – a task that needed to be done months ago!

After about two and a half week, I’m beginning to settle into my new job with much anticipation. Later this week, I should have two or three kiddos on my caseload, which means I’ll be a little busier. At present, I’m still working PRN at the hospital. Meaning, I work a minimum of five shifts a month. I’ve picked up a few extra just to pass the time until the next quarter starts. After this class, I will have four more courses left until I complete my program. Then I’ll have a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration of Operations Management.

After making it through two really tough years at the hospital, it looks like things are really starting to pick up! I’m finding financial clarity and have discovered that I’m much happier than I was a few months ago. I found the job through a friend at Cedar Springs. We’re quickly discovering that we make quite the team! My colleague and I are striving to set a precedence for the company as being two of the most valuable assets. I think we’ll have no problems in accomplishing that goal!

Hey Everyone,

I apologize for my extended period of absence. Life seems too fast-paced to keep up with but somehow I’m managing to find some time to settle down and pick up where I left off. As I mentioned at the closing of my last (first) post, I said I would talk about my college experience.

After graduation, I decided I wanted to get out of the state. I suppose a large part was my need for self-independence. Having grown up in a military family, I was ready to pack up and make another move. My best friend in high school had gone to Gonzaga and she suggested I look into it. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Gonzaga University, it’s located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest on the eastern side of the state of Washington. Nestled tightly in the city of Spokane, one of the primary focuses is social justice. Where better to set up shop, then in the middle of a fairly low socio-economic city in comparison to cities like Seattle or Portland.
All throughout my college search, I knew I was being pulled towards Gonzaga. The faculty and staff made a significant contribution to my decision. It seemed that nearly everyone I met, took the time to remember who I was. I wasn’t just another number or another faceless incoming student, I was Jeremy Boedigheimer. I was the kid from Colorado who was a contender for one of the university’s most honorable scholarship competition. I was the kid who was offered a music scholarship and who made it into the auditioned university choir after only one year of music education in high school.

Freshman Year

I’d say my first year at Gonzaga was probably the basis upon which I built my meaningful friendships. I went through the “normal” routine of things and did things a lot of college students do. I stayed up till the early morning hanging out, gained 25 pounds my first semester, and probably got into more trouble than I should have. I didn’t party because I lived in one of the posh residence halls. Dillon and Goller were named after Jesuit priests, like many of the university buildings around campus. The difference was that they were “PC”. No, not politically correct, but “positive choice” dorms. That meant the residents signed an agreement and even wrote an essay about staying substance free. This included abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, and any other various drugs available on the streets of Spokane. The dorms were nice and I lived in a suite style room with five other guys. My roommate was a Spokane native, which we learned to affectionately call a Spokan-ite, as opposed to a Spokie, which is a mullet toting weirdo. The guys in the neighboring room, still in our suite, were two musically talent young men from the nearby AFB. In the last room, we had a jock and a little guy who didn’t seem to fit the mix. For the most part, we moved as a crew. We had meals, classes, and generally spent the majority of our free time together. As a hole, we hung out mainly with other kids in our halls because he unknowingly had a bad rep of being the “PC” kids. I’d say it was because of the guys I lived with my first year and the RAs I had, they’re one of the main reasons I stayed at GU.

I never really struggled in high school with grades. Everything always seemed to come easily for me but going to GU was a whole different story. I actually had to do homework and read material for classes. I hated my 8am classes and did everything I could to avoid them. It took at least the first semester for me to get the hang of college studying. Instead of going and hanging with friends I had to pace myself and set priorities. I think I engrained my study habits so hard into my head that even now, I don’t really have problems studying or setting time aside to focus.

I guess the biggest thing I took freshman year was the ability to prioritize and make time for the important things in life. I’m ok if I have friends whose needs surpass my own. In a way, I define who I am by the people I associate with. I don’t like drama or people who get involved with it. I like being laid back and not caring to the point of mental breakdown. Friendships are one of the top three most important things in my life. There’s not much I wouldn’t do if a friend asked…

Welcome Everyone!

I’m so excited to begin the Chinese New Year through a new and refreshing avenue.  For those of you who are curious as to why I moved from Google’s blogging site, I wanted something new and tasteful.  A good friend of mine made the switch and I really liked the overall presentation.  Various events and experiences led to a transformative change in my life and I think this new site will prompt renewed creativity.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jeremy Boedigheimer.  I’m 25 years old and I’m trying to make a difference in the world.  I grew up in a military family and moved around as a child.  My father’s retirement from the Air Force brought me to Colorado, a place I’ll always call home.  I grew up in a fairly conservative family but have changed quite drastically.  I identify the significant beginning of Me at the onset of high school.  In school, I was always a high achiever.  I think I learned to be goal-oriented and hard-working from my parents.  I studied hard and began developing my interests and passions.  My fondest memories of high school were my involvement in my youth group, cross-country, and Serteen.

Raised a Roman Catholic, I embraced my religion with unwavering faith and commitment.  I made lasting friendships with the people I met and even seriously considered answering a calling into the priesthood.  The youth group was very active in the community and our program became an inspirational model to other churches.  I participated in Bible studies, went to praise and worship conferences, and even made a pilgrimage to Rome.

My cross-country team taught me about healthy living.  From the moment I began running for my school, I have never sacrificed exercise and well-being.  I made friends who pushed me to be faster and stronger.  From that, I developed a healthy sense of self-motivation that continues to motivate me to push forward.

Perhaps the most influential portion of my high school experience was my involvement in Serteen.  It was the community service club.  I still remember when my French teacher challenged me to “try it out” for a semester.  He said, “Volunteer for a semester and see if you like it.  If not, then you’ll have easily completed your graduation requirement for community service.  But if you do enjoy it, you’ll learn to love it.”  And love it I did!  I’ve dedicated a portion of my life to service to others and will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

I hope you enjoyed the first post here at my new site.  Look forward to hearing about my college experiences in my next post!

Namaste - The Light of God in Me recognizes and honors The Light of God in You and in that recognition is our Oneness.