Soups, Salads, and Soul Searching

Souplantation
Originally uploaded by Maybe Lately

Nothing like an evening out with friends to quell any and all worries regarding one's current career.

Or to commiserate about such worries.

What started out as a simple meal to catch up turned into a relationship pow-wow of sorts. Not that I am some type of relationship expert by an sense of the phrase, but I was willing to give my point of views when asked by a friend. However, the conversation did not consist solely of relationship how to and advice. There was also the discussion of our livelihoods and the lives we live compared to that of my parents.

Confused? Well, allow me to explain.

I am currently 25. (If you don't believe me, I have i.d to prove it.) At 25 my parents had careers, 2 children, a home, my mother had come from another country and earned her citizenship here.

What do I have to show for 25?

No children (Praise God) working in a company where I wonder if today will be the day that I am laid off, and still trying to9 figure out what exactly I want to do with the rest of my life.

As I discussed these concerns with my sister after dinner I came to the conclusion that this is not entirely my fault. 10 years ago (as I sat through class my last year in Sicily) I had no way of knowing that I would be spending my mid-late 20s in a recession seized economy. There was no way I could prepare myself for hearing about educated individuals fighting for jobs that pay $7 and hour at a local Kohls. Had I known this, there was probably not much I could do to prepare myself for my present situation, except maybe think more about what I really wanted to spend my life doing.

Granted, I know that I am extremely blessed. Although, it may be inevitable, I have yet to be laid off. I just finished reading an incredible book by Jennifer Lancaster called Bitter is the New Black (look for my book review to be posted soon.) and there is an instance where her husband forfeits his medication for groceries. I have yet to reach this stage of rock bottom. There are times where I complain about my "inadequate" pay while families are struggling to get by on less than $10000 a year.

Don't get me wrong. I am very grateful.

However, I just wish I was a little more prepared. Like if I had a plan mapped out and I knew that I am headed in the right directions.

I'm at the point right now, where I feel so discouraged that I don't even have the motivation to try to remedy my current situation. Sadly, I got pretty comfortable at my current positions, although, I am blatantly taken for granted time and time again.

There have been other positions that I have been told about and I have not even mustard up the courage to doll up my resume.

I truly believe it's that fear of failure creeping in, but what can I do? My old adage of better to not try than to try and fail has held me back from attempting so many of my "frivolous" dreams.

Now is the time for me to get off the pot and get it together. The past couple of years have flown by, the next thing I know I will be 30...

I would like to think that by then I could afford such niceties as planning a yearly vacation with no problems, and working in a field that I love.

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