Having a job: scary real life stuff, man.

These past couple of weeks I've been working to get some money saved up. I just graduated, and I'm trying to get my shit together... not necessarily for myself. I have some awesome parents that did anything for me, so for the love of God, I need to do something for them.

I figured being a functional individual in society would be one way to make them happy. So, that's been my goal...

So far, it's been a bitch.

I had a gig over in Woodstock (I live in New Paltz, hour or so north from the city) for a couple of weeks now, and I had to quit today. My boss is absolutely insane. The turnover rate for employees at that job is astounding. Another co-worker quit after working there for three weeks-- and that person had it fucking together. One of the more organized people I'm ever going to meet.

My boss is begging to keep me for at least a day a week, or something. Without me, her computers and any technical device in her office goes to hell. It's bloody weird: last week was me getting ripped in half day in and day out, and this week starts with her groveling to keep me.

I'll have to think on it.

Having a bad boss is one of those many nuisances of life that one must face by fire, methinks. Shit like this only teaches you how things work. Anyone has had a crazy X girlfriend, boss, teacher, or whatever before. But man... experiencing all this for yourself is another matter entirely.

This leads me to question the job market, economy, and society as a whole itself:

What the hell is wrong with this world?

After meeting my x-coworker who lived from paycheck to paycheck, with a busted up jeep that's putting her in debt, along with no health care, it made me realized that things are just buggered.
I can tell you three people who also graduated from my college, and who are also working similar jobs as to mine while trying to hash a living and make it on their own in the town of New Paltz. Problem is, so few jobs are available considering the current market demographic, leaving a lot of people I know with a useless piece of paper.

Another girl I know commutes from around here into the city every day (hour and a half each way,) and works another job on the weekend.

Ouch.

At lease Kanye West gives an idea as for what to do with our degrees: sew them together for blankets.

Graduating college with an English degree is kind of a misnomer within itself, too. It certainly doesn't give one many options economically. Not many employers really care that I love writing; thankfully, I'm able to talk anyones gout. It comes with listening to and reading a lot of good dialogue.

I wish I had more time to write, though. Every day I hit the gym and study web page design/database management to get myself specialized for the market. I'm technically inclined and can manage the I.T. field, so maybe I can do that to my favor. I don't have much of a life nowadays, but shit, it's warm in here, I'm healthy and I'm learning. I'm keeping my fucking mouth shut.

It sucks for anyone else though who doesn't have a vocation to go with their degree. Poor guys are working their damn asses off for a whole lot of bupkis. Someone I know had to go to court and tell a judge, "I don't have fifty dollars to my name. Let me pay next week." The insane thing is, he wasn't joking.

Isn't college supposed to take care of shit like that?

I feel like higher education can teach a young man or woman many things about life. How to plan, learn, socialize, grow-- or, in short, to take a swab from Steven King's The Stand, how to deduct. But, god, you'd think this type of emotional structure would be paid for by the government-- not creating 52,000 dollars of debt for anyone looking to better themselves as a person.

Again, I'm lucky. I don't have that problem-- but many do. It's fucking appalling to see, and it hurts. Please, stay up guys. You all deserve it.

I got to get some things done today. I better get started.

I want to say something about relationships next. I'm sure many people ascribe to the idea of seeking stability in oneself, and not from others-- but it never hit me as to how important that concept really is until I saw it for myself. I guess love really is secondary to getting your own head on your shoulders-- at least, that's what post grad life taught me so far.

That'll be my homework.

-Mike