Job hunting

The job search can be quite depressing at times. I am coming out of college at a time when the percentage of college graduates my age has never been higher. I enter into the work force at a time where the American labor force is stabilizing itself from a significant economic recession. These do not interact well with the promise we all were given in middle school that, if we got a college degree, we were pretty much guaranteed nice jobs with easy money and big houses in nice neighborhoods. Oh well, I haven't really been shooting for the lap of luxury for several years now. That doesn't really relieve the pressure in the back of my head of finding that sort of job still. It's times like these when I have to remind myself of a good conversation that I had with my dad this summer. I don't generally work myself up to the point of being stressed over anything. However, by mid July I had pretty much worked myself up into a nervous wreck about not being able to get a job and do it on my own without a hitch as soon as I graduated. Dad told me that it was pretty unreasonable to think that I was gonna land a job of too much financial stability or significance and stuff like that. He reminded me that most everyone works at several different jobs throughout their work life and that people generally start off just scraping by. So, yeah, I don't need to find an amazing job by May. I just want to be able to find something that will pay my bills and begin to get me out of debt (another thing im quite apprehensive about). Patience. It's just hard to think about taking a job that doesn't even require the degree that everyone has promised would open the doors to bigger and better things. And it's definitely not because I think I'm too good to work any kind of job; certainly not. I just wonder, at times, what my parents would think of their personal and financial contributions to the last four years of my life. And what will my professors take from their time and effort spent on me, preparing and equipping me for the real world? You know what though, that's alright, because I will find contentment and satisfaction in my life wherever I end up. My life's worth and value will not be tied to my paycheck, job prestige, etc. What a phenomenally stupid pursuit.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." -Matthew 19:24

So, last night Amy Barnett and I went to Pizza Hut for dinner. I was pleasantly surprised to find out they had a special. Buy one Medium or Large pizza at regular price, and you can buy up to 5 more mediums for $5 a piece... Sweet action. I had a good midnight snack. But anyway, Amy and I were talking and I came up with the idea that maybe I should adopt a child or become a foster parent once I get out of school. At first we kind of laughed about it, but then I started to roll it over in my head a bit. What would be so terrible about that notion? Maybe adopting a child would be ill advised because of my lack of parenting skills or long term financial stability. However, considering their circumstances, maybe even that wouldn't be a good enough excuse to avoid doing it. Even if I don't know the first thing about parenting's ins and outs, at least I would be able to offer the kid all the love and attention I could pour onto it. Would that be more beneficial than an orphanage somewhere? Once I thought about that I thought about Kristina, the baby girl that I met in the Czech Republic. I wrote a long journal entry about this very thing. Maybe sometime I'll transfer it over to this. Either way, it's something to think about. Maybe if not soon, maybe later. If I ever end up duping some poor girl into thinking that she could live the rest of her life with me, and then I somehow have a life-altering experience that makes me want to have children, I think I'll ask my wife to strongly consider adopting a child.

My sister just announced to me that I am a bad influence on her because, when she told me about procrastinating on her work to go watch a movie in the middle of the night, I didn't protest or advise her to do anything differently. Sweet... Hey, it's J-Term. If you can't get away with it now, when can you get away with it? Enjoy sis.