Nepotism

Warning: This post will include rants, foul language, and a sense of sarcasm and possibly a sense of entitlement. Proceed with caution.

Nepotism- n. the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.


I am tired. More than tired, I am fed up with all the bullshit that goes around in the job market. Four rejection letters in as many days from places who list their requirements for job listing as simply being over eighteen, or having a high school diploma. I have even interviewed for a position, and received a generic "Thank you for your interest" email that did not even include my name.

Let me tell you a story about a job a friend and I both applied for. His father was drinking buddies with the manager of the place in question, but he had no work experience, was still in high school. Me, I have some college, and volunteer experience. Guess who was offered the job? Not me. This is a prime example of nepotism in the workplace.

I have been hunting for a job for almost two years now, and in all that time, I have only been offered a single job, which I felt I needed to turn down because of the nature of the position. I did not feel safe performing the job offered. Moreover, the interviewer had spent the entire time staring at my breasts. And you want to know the sad part? Another friend of mine recommended me for the job.

Everyone tells me I can always go back to college, to get my degree, but it won't help. I know it won't. When McDonald's tells you that you aren't qualified to flip burgers all day, something in you just knows that it's not you that's the problem. It's the system. It's not what you can do. It's who you know. Guess what, though? I'm sick of it. There reaches a point when it's time to say enough is enough. That point is today.

Today, I make a vow... We can end nepotism. It won't happen overnight, or even over the next year, but we can end it. Together. How? Simple. Don't let them push you around. Don't let them push you away. If you're an employer, don't hire someone just because you know them. Hire them because they're qualified for the position and because you think they'll do a good job in the position. If you're looking, don't jump at the job your friend offers you simply because he's your friend. Unless we work together, we will not be able to end this favoritism that plagues us.

Insanity or Brilliance?

Wow, it's been awhile since I've had the time to actually sit down and write a blog post. It's been awhile since I've had the time to do much of anything, actually. My time may become even more scarce, though. I've either had a stroke of brilliance, or I'm suffering from insanity.

I'm working on starting my own business. Right now, all I have is an idea, and the hope for a future, but I know there's a market out there for what I want to do,, and I hope that it all falls in line with everything else that I want to do with my life. How in the world I'm going to balance this and training to be a dance instructor, I don't know. Hell, how I'm going to do this with no business knowledge at all, I have no clue. All I can do is hope for the best, and hope that I can do everything I need to do...

On Inspiration and Motivation

Funny how little things tend to cause everything to seem as though it's spiraling out of control. Two months ago, I would have thought everything would be perfect by now. After all, I've officially been nineteen for a week. They always say things will get better, but when is always the question.

Of late, life has been a rollercoaster of things that tend to drive me insane, in both good and bad ways. There are people I wouldn't trade for the world, things I've done that I would do again in an instant, and then there are also the minor regrets, though those are few and far between. Still, it feels as though something's missing. It drives me insane to sit in front of the computer for hours and only be able to type out a paragraph at most.

Losing the motivation to write is the hardest thing for a writer. I have so much that must be done, so many words that need to be put to paper, but I can't seem to get them out. It's not for lack of trying, either. My devoted boyfriend tells me to write every day. Typically, the only writing I get done is a few tweets, and, if I'm lucky, a couple of ideas for a vlog that I'll put off for another week because I haven't cleaned.

What's worse is the feeling in the pit of my stomach when I'm not writing. It's as though my characters are trying to claw their way out, but they can't seem to get there. The words build up, and it drives me insane.

It's not for lack of inspiration, either. I have inspiration in every moment of my life. From the way my boyfriend looks at me at breakfast when I'm not all the way awake and he couldn't care less about my messy hair to the way the sun comes through the windows of the studio, lighting it up and making me want to dance until my feet hurt (a regular occurrence lately, with preparing for pro training next month), inspiration is in abundance.

All I can do is push forward and hope my motivation returns, though time will be in short supply come November.

Losing Myself

So, I'm realizing that I'm getting terrible at keeping a blog. My Tumblr is doing great, but that's only because it's not really meant for long blog posts, though I've posted a few of those as well.

Quite a bit has happened in the month since I last said howdy to you lot. I've been struggling to write as much as I need to for Camp NaNoWriMo. Thankfully, I don't really have much of a social life anymore to get in my way. It's just dancing and volunteering that have stopped me from being ahead. Well, that and my own mind. I'm working on three different projects this month, which is a bit more of a struggle than it really ought to be.

I realized a couple of days ago that in all the rush and craziness of my everyday life, I've started to lose track of what's important to me. I've been so worried about if I'll be able to do everything that everyone else wants me to do that I forgot that my own dreams need to come first. Between my dancing and my writing, I know what I want to do with my life. Everyone else has other plans for me, though.

Go to college, get a real job, don't waste your time on such trivial pursuits. I hear this all the time, and the constant barrage makes me wonder if I'm making the right decisions by following my dreams. Sure, I intend to go back to college and get my degree, but the timing is off. I know I'm capable of handling the workload, but it means I'll be losing every bit of a social life I've managed to gain. And yes, school is important. I'm not denying that, or the fact that I miss it, but I'm in no rush to go back just yet. I left for a reason. I needed to find myself.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I'm going to have to make some tough decisions in the near future. I've got my whole life ahead of me to do some things, but other things... they're within my reach and there's no point in not going after them. If I let my dreams slip away, I'll only be losing myself.

Late Night Blogging

Normally, I don't bother blogging after midnight, simply because I'm typically laying in bed and attempting to sleep. Tonight, though, four terrible words were uttered.

"Don't wait for me."

To hear those words was like a knife to the heart, again. It isn't the first time this person has said something like this to me. However, it doesn't stop me from hoping that he'll change his mind and admit he loves me. It always seemed like a pipe dream until more recently. Maybe I'm still just dreaming. After all, why would he tie himself to me when he could have anyone?

Heartache comes in many forms. One that I'm sure everyone is deeply aware of is friendzoning. Once you are there, there is little chance of escape. People complain all the time that they can't get passed the fact that they're love with their best friend.

Darlings, I know your pain. I'm there right now, and it's terrible. To be so close, yet have them so far... It's enough to drive you mad. Never despair, though. One day, you will realize you are stronger for it. Until then, soldier on and hope that someday, they will realize your worth.