The Myth & The Majesty

Well! Here's a topic I had hoped I wouldn't really experience -- but since I'm currently in the midst of said experience, it would be selfish of me to keep this new knowledge to myself. Some of this is my own -- some of it comes from people wiser than me who have been through it already. All of it is worth repeating. So here we go. * It happened. Your workplace is having difficulty recovering from this lovely recession and you find yourself amongst the crowd unceremoniously let go. Just like that, you're on the curb, wondering what the heck happened and what's going to happen next. Maybe you're panicking a little -- your income is zero. As a single woman, you don't have a husband there to lean on while you find a new job. Maybe you're angry. Maybe you're relieved. None of it changes your scenario. You are now unemployed. Before I go any more into this, I'd like to lay out a few things. I'm assuming this was at least moderately unexpe...

This has been in the works all week -- here you go. ------------------------------------------------- Listening to: Rilo Kiley, Nickel Creek, and Lemon Demon Reading: A description of Anna Karenina Thinking about: Wait, that’s the point of blogging, isn’t it? What do you want from your life? I'm not a big fan of motivational jargon. I don't read self-help books or watch TV talk shows. Some people might suggest that I should (please don't), but the full truth is that I don't put much stock in someone who makes their money by giving the masses six steps to fix whatever life problem it is they have. I don't like blanket cures (except maybe penicillin). But I thought today I could irritate myself long enough to kick off this post. The full truth is that my opening question can reveal a lot more to you if you can actually be honest with yourself -- alas, that's not a talent many of us have, myself included. Let's try it for a moment anyway. Simplify things -- w...

It was six years ago today, on a Saturday nonetheless, that I went to prom. To tell you the truth, I don't remember a whole lot about it. When you're in high school, you're told that it's one of the Big Events that you'll always remember. And while I do remember a few things, it's not exactly high in what I consider Big Events. I had to look back at my journal from that time to even recall anything in particular. I was a junior (my high school had a junior-senior prom -- it's a small town). I had a great dress. The whole day (hot and windy) was spent getting ready, including having my best friend's mom do my hair. A large group of us went to a Mexican restaurant in Sioux Falls whose name I don't remember for dinner, and after that four of us in particular went together in my best friend's dad's very nice truck. Heh heh heh. I didn't much care for it. As far as I was concerned, it was another in a string of dances that mostly bored me. The...

You can be the smartest engineer in the world but still not get hired if you don't have the ability to talk to people in a crowd. Giving a speech in front of friends is nervewracking, but giving one in front of superiors is downright frightening. When a girl walks into a roomful of guys, there is no guarantee of conversation. However, there may be many scared deer-in-the-headlights looks. The phrase "linear line" is one that only confuses those outside an engineering school. Thankfully. If you get something out of it, it's not worth regretting. A person can go for a long time without realizing what she's missing. For instance, it took two years for me to realize exactly how valuable my friendships with other girls are. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. You might be stupid, but at least you're happy. Sometimes ignorance is NOT bliss. For instance, halfway through an exam. Time isn't important, unless that time happens to be a deadline. Sleep can be sacrificed f...