The P word

Tonight, I made a status on Facebook, which is now deleted because it seriously was that irritating to me. I made a status about Hopkins girls basketball going to the state championship, which they may (or may not) play against Edina. I made a playful bash on Edina by saying "Hopkins doesn't eat cake" since just about ANYONE who goes to school in the Lake Conference knows them as the Cake-eaters. However, this was taken personally by a few people. Chelsea, if you're reading this you know I love you. Now, in saying that comment, I was not saying that I think Edina is all bad, or that the students are bad or that I disliked them in any way. However, my best friend, Chelsea, brought up a good point, Edina is a great school, with great kids, and is outstanding academically.

But it is exactly those statements that prove my point. Edina is a predominantly white, wealthy community. Does that make them bad people? No. Does that make them all snobby? No. But the fact is, it IS a wealthy, white community. And it is because of those demographics, that they do have such a great school. Do I dislike them for being white, wealthy, and having a great school? No. But is it common that we see a predominately white, wealthy, suburban school not do well? Typically not. Race and money mean EVERYTHING in this society. White privilege exists, whether we like it or not. Money means power, whether we like it or not.

So this brings up something that has gone through my mind, especially throughout college, a lot. Why do we get offended when people call something for what it is? This Facebook situation isn't the first time I've seen this. I see it happen politically all of the time. When as liberals we call for the rich to pay their fair share of taxes, they say we're starting class warfare. They accuse us of punishing them for being rich or for their success. No, absolutely not. We're telling it like it is. You make a lot of money, we do not dislike you for that, we just want you to pay your fair share. It's easier to play the victim than to accept what's right.

 Do people get mad when they hear someone say an inner city school is "rough" or is not performing well academically or that they wouldn't want to send their kid there? No. Do people get all shook up when we say a homeless person looked dirty? We don't automatically assume that statements like those are taking jabs at the kids that go to those schools or jabs at those communities. Because reality is, we see those communities and those kids and those people as "less than". So who cares, right?

Perhaps being called the "cake eaters" gets old over and over. And I whole-heartedly agree that even though it is a joke, that it does not apply to every single individual in Edina. And yes, it could get old hearing it over and over. But don't you think it gets old for people on the other end of spectrum, too? Schools like I went to, Hopkins, get a bad wrap for their open enrollment, specifically, black students coming from Minneapolis. Since I've graduated all I've heard is how rough the school is getting and how it's not up to par academically. And everyone just nods their head in agreement, like it's such a shame, what a horrible place. Eden Prairie chants "FOOD STAMPS" at Hopkins during a basketball game and you hear one story about it. But you make a comment about Edina's privilege and NOPE you can't do that because telling the truth might offend someone.

Privilege will always be protected. You can be in denial about it, but it will remain a fact. The truth hurts.

Social MEdia.

So. I kind of loathe philosophy  (in the academic sense), but I find myself doing a lot of "philosophizing" (if we can call it that) when I am not worrying about this or that. Today, I discovered my love-hate relationship with social media or social MEdia, rather, since it brings out the narcissist in all of us. I will admit that I am probably guilty of some of the things I am going to mention in my following remarks, but I do also feel that I have a balanced approach to using social media. Sure, I may complain or express excitement every now and then, but I also post a LOT of political content, because I believe that social media serves more of a purpose than just for us to socialize. It's a tool for advocating, for raising awareness, etc.

So why do I hate social media (Facebook more so than Twitter)? Because it's exploitative. We exploit ourselves on it. How many times do we start conversations with "I saw on Facebook" nowadays? Nobody has to tell us anything about their lives anymore, we just check their profile or our news feeds. Why call your friends when they have nothing new to share with you because you've seen it all already? Let's use the common examples of jobs, relationships and children...

Why must I constantly know what your child ate for lunch, what activities you did with them for the day, what word they tried to utter, etc? Don't get me wrong. I love babies and kids. But why are you tracking your child's life on Facebook? What happened to a baby book? If you want to share with your family or close friends, then call them, tell them, have a REAL interaction. Hear the joy in their voice rather than reading their joy in a Facebook comment.

Jobs are a whole other issue, especially among my fellow recent college grads. Jobs are scarce, so it's exciting and a blessing when we get one. But is it necessary to incessantly post how great your job is and how successful you are or are going to be? Call me empathetic, but there are plenty of your unemployed friends who are going to read those and be happy for you, but in turn, feel even crappier about living with their parents, struggling to pay their student loans, or whatever it may be. Hence, why I never made one status when I got my job.

Relationships are probably the worst of all. I don't need to know how much you love your significant other a thousands times. If you have to profess your love to Facebook that frequently, then you come across insecure in your relationship. If you love them that much, then tell THEM, NOT ALL OF US. I don't need to know about every date you go on or see an album full of pictures of you kissing. People are more excited to put their engagements/relationships on Facebook so everybody can like it. Then we learn when they purchase their dress, when they purchase their bridesmaids dresses, where they booked everything, what's for dinner, who the DJ is, who will be taking pictures, etc.

I'm sure some people will disagree with me and think that Facebook is a great way to share things with people they normally may not be able to share with and that it's convenient. But I think that it's just too much. I don't need to know all of those details. And on top of all of that, it makes us narcissistic. We post all of those things because we actually enjoy talking about ourselves & believe that everyone will want to hear about it. Well, I'm here to say I don't care about all of it, just like people probably don't care about half of what I post. And some people not even may care that I posted this. But that's okay. We're too busy living our lives on Facebook rather than actually living them off of it. Our parents survived babies, marriages, jobs without Facebook, so why can't we? Can any of our lives be private anymore?

If I Could Live at the Capitol, I Would

Today was the first day of the legislative session...WOO HOO! Yeah, it's a really exciting day for people like me. Essentially, I get to spend the next 3 months of my life at the capitol. My biggest task is to make sure the social media world knows what we (Twin Cities Habitat) are working on at the capitol, while also making them understand that supporting affordable housing is really important. The thing is, everyone who lobbies at the capitol believes their cause is the most important, so the key is making your cause really stand out. I'm finding out more and more that having a unified voice with others supporting the same cause is really important. Every Tuesday morning we have a meeting with all of the other housing and homelessness advocates so that we stay on the same page. 

The best part is that I get to hang out at the capitol all day, watch the House and Senate in session, cover committee hearings, meet with legislators in one on one meetings, and get other advocates to do the same. Today was a whirlwind day since it was the first day and there weren't too many things to discuss. It's kind of like the "going over the syllabus" days of class in college. I met a couple representatives, Speaker Zellers said hello to me (because that's his job haha) and seeing Amy Koch post-scandal drama was pretty fun too. Some supporters of the occupy  movement came and protested as well with a lot of chanting of "Tax the rich", which I loved and wanted to join in on, but realized I was there for a different purpose haha. But as the Vikings Stadium plays out and some of the constitution amendments are discussed, things are going to get pretty heated. It'll be interesting to see that go down.

Life at the capitol is pretty go go go, so when I got home today and sat down I had a bit of time to reflect on the day. Honestly, I can't imagine my life without politics in it in some way, especially in the form of advocacy. Specifically, advocating for the disadvantaged in our society. I'm reaffirmed all of the time that that is my calling and what God put me here to do. Even though this opportunity is temporary, I am so blessed to be doing something I love and to feel fulfilled and like I am making a difference every day. 

Hello, Real World.

I've been at my new job for almost 3 weeks now. I work at Habitat for Humanity as a Government Relations Intern. Right now the biggest project I'm working on is promoting our advocacy efforts through social media and reaching a larger audience. And honestly, I love this job and am sad it's going to be over at the end of June. So I'm making the most of it while I can. 

I love working for a non-profit. That's not to say that I'd never consider working in the corporate world, but the non-profit world is so rewarding. Instead of people being driven by money, they're driven by passion. Nobody's stressed out over profits, we're stressed out because someone has nowhere to sleep at night. It's the epitome of what I believe: People matter more than profits.We do what we do to make the lives of others better, not to make ourselves millionaires. I wish there was more of that in our society, but I feel so blessed to work in such an atmosphere. God placed me somewhere where I can really see His work and blessings on a daily basis. 

In addition to that, I have a GREAT boss. Not only is she hilarious and super flexible, she's incredibly admirable. For all that she's been through she is SO humble and has such a huge heart. She has an open door policy for dinner at her house, allowing homeless people to come and have a meal when they need to. She keeps pairs of gloves in her car to hand out to homeless people outside in the winter. Inside she places a $10 bill and a note that says "You are loved". That is exactly the kind of person I admire, respect, and strive to be. If you'd like to know more about her story, you can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay38TnudyDk&feature=player_embedded

I guess my whole point of this is to point out that I have a job I love and that's one of the best feelings in the world. I cannot even begin to say how grateful I am. I encourage everyone to do what they love too, because it's true, it will not feel like work when you love it.

Well, That's Annoying

Well, I'll post about life at my new job in a future blog, but for now I just need to rant about all of the random things that irritate me as of late, some with or without explanation. I have no idea how long this list will be considering I'm simultaneously watching Dawson's Creek. Yeah, I know. Judge me.

1. People who TRY to be hipster. That's not hipster and it doesn't MAKE you hipster. Stop trying. If someone is hipster, they just are. It's not because they make it a point to go out and buy certain clothes, shoes or go to certain places. It's just who they are and those are things they do. It's not forced.

2. Shows like this new show on TLC called "Virgin Diaries". Alright, so I'm all for people having freedom of choice...whether that means having sex before marriage or abstaining. But not even KISSING before your wedding day? I just don't get why people are so afraid of ANY physical intimacy. It is perfectly normal and okay to SHOW someone you love them through affection. It's not a bad, dirty, or scary thing. Also, if you're going to wait until your wedding day to kiss your spouse, that's going to make all of your other physical interactions EXTREMELY awkward. See: http://www.happyplace.com/12508/virgin-newlywed-couple-have-most-awkward-first-kiss-ever

4. In addition to that last point, sexual attraction is normal and dare I say, NATURAL. The fact that people coin these as "impure" is absurd. Having a thought is a lot different than acting on it. Learn self control. Oh and going off of this, let's address modesty, since I watch Sistser Wives and they talked about their modest dress. If you seriously still believe that you're tempting men by the way that you dress, WAKE UP. Why is the blame always placed on the woman? What about a man's self control? No, I'm not saying dress trashy. But really, wear what you want. Clothes are a way to express yourself, not just a way to cover yourself up.

5. A new Vikings Stadium. COME ON! They are 2-9. I don't care what revenue it will supposedly bring to this state. Who builds a team that SUCKS a brand new stadium!?!

6. I cannot even believe there are women that are not feminists. Or that think it's all radical thinking and a bad thing. That's like blatantly saying "I do not believe I am as equal as a man". Think for yourself. Make our own decisions. No man is in control of you. Don't be a puppet. Geez.

7.  The fact that I'm totally blanking on all the other things that have been annoying me recently all because I'm so focused on Dawson's Creek.

Don't settle

I haven't blogged since the end of March! Why? Because I was so busy trying to figure out my life and coming to terms with the fact that my 4 years at Gustavus were coming to an end. And although it took me 5 months after graduation to figure it all out, I'm here and I have at least SOME direction to my life through the end of June.

On Monday, I will start my first day of being a Government Relations Intern at Habitat for Humanity and I couldn't be more excited. I think the most important thing I have learned in this whole job-searching process is to follow your instincts. For months, I networked, did applications and wrote multiple cover letters nearly ever day. Without any results. I felt the most discouraged I have ever felt in my life. I actually felt like a failure. There I sat with a Bachelor of Arts degree and nothing to use it for. There I sat with debt and no way to pay it off. I watched all of my peers and people close to me start on their paths, while I couldn't even begin to find mine.

By the time September rolled around, I thought I may have to swallow my pride. Yes, I had a B.A. but maybe in this economy that wasn't going to matter and I'd just have to take a job that I didn't actually want, in retail or whatever it may be. And everyone was telling me that's exactly what I should do. So, I began to listen and started to apply for things unrelated to my degree and to things that I was certainly overqualified for. Yet no matter how many interviews and job offers I got, something just didn't feel right. I felt like I was selling myself short. This is what a lot of my peers may call "being picky".

I call it following my passion. Something told me I wasn't supposed to give that up, that I was capable and that I could do it. That's the problem with our society and our generation. We give up what we truly love for money. Whether it is to make a lot of money or whether it is to make just enough money to keep getting by. We fear the unknown. We fear the darkness that comes before the light. We let go of our passion so that we don't have to struggle so we can get there. We are too scared. And I was scared. But I refused to lose sight of that passion. Because I knew that if I didn't follow it, I'd regret it. And that fear, that hopelessness, the sense of being lost for 5 months of my life, was all worth it. Because if I would have followed anything other than my passion, I would have still been lost. Possibly for  the rest of my life.

I really think Steve Jobs said it best: "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

On Monday, I get to start to do what I believe is great work. And to love what I do. All because I didn't settle.

Spring "Break"

IT'S SPRING BREAK! Okay, normally I'd be super excited about that, but I'm kinda really not. Why? Well, because it's not really a break. And because it's the last one ever! I have so many things on my to-do list to get done that I can't even keep track. And even though I have gotten a significant amount of things accomplished, I feel like I have completed nothing in the grand scheme of things. Yes, there are still plenty of days left of the break. But, I just don't want to go back to school in that "omg I am overwhelmed every single minute of every single day" mode that I have been in since the beginning of the semester. If I can have things done, I'll feel much happier and save myself some of the stress.

On top of the stress of actual homework and such, I have the stress of figuring out my life. In 2 months from today, I'll be graduating from college. WHAT? I still need to apply to about a billion more jobs because I don't like the idea of putting all my eggs in one basket. And I'm a person that likes to have options. However, on top of my large volume of work, it's hard to find time to job-search so I guess I have to use this "break" for that, too. You know, job searching is really stressful when you don't have a clear path. Like, I don't want to be a doctor or a teacher so it's not like I can just be like oh yes, here's my exact next step. Which makes everything even more stressful. Look at how many times I have used the word stressed. Sigh. Not healthy. Welcome to my life. I can tell how stressed I am due to the fact that all I ever want to do is sleep.

So sleep is what I'll do. Then wake up and it's back to the to do list. There's more to my life sometimes, I swear...