Life is a lot like an overflowing toilet

Humans of New York

2 hrs · 

“I got a Degree In The Written Arts, which is the most pretentious way of saying ‘English’ that my school could think of. Two internships later-- I’m still working at a restaurant. I finally had an actual job interview last week. The website said ‘big marketing firm,’ but the whole office fit in a closet. Then I found out the job was ‘commission only.’ So I’m beginning to doubt that there’s a palpable job market in The Written Arts. And I’m going to be paying off this education for the next ten years. I’m bracing for the worst. I feel like somebody who just realized that global warming is actually a thing. It doesn’t help that my entire apartment is falling apart. Our fridge broke down last week and we lost $120 worth of food. Now my roommates are mad at me because I fumbled the negotiation with our landlord. And to top it all off, my toilet overflowed this morning—with absolutely nothing to deserve it. I just called my Mom for advice. She recommended that I take a walk. I was hoping she’d tell me that the water would go back in the toilet. Either literally or metaphorically.”

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Comments:

Life is a lot like an overflowing toilet

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 I, too, hope the water goes back into the toilet, metaphorically for both of us and literally for you.

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Part of me feels bad and part of me is thrilled you still call mom when in a jam.

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This is not going to help with this man's immediate problems (damn, that sucks!) but I happen to think English and related majors (say journalism) are the most versatile degrees. The world is filled with people who can't write worth a damn and also can't READ worth a damn. Being able to describe, explain, instruct, paint visual pictures, write headlines, summarize content, understand context of words.... it's KEY to the success of many, many projects. I've worked with hardcore software engineers and coders, graphic designers, non-profit staff, graphic designers, artists and many others who needed help. Hell, I have had a lot of people review their emails for them, if it's something important or they want to check "tone." Even though it's easy to feel very down -- debt, no job, etc. -- it IS a valuable skill that not everyone has.

P.S. Beyond my "job," I am also a fiction writer and editor, with a whole bunch of published books. So even though I am not writing "creative" stuff at my job-job, I still have a major creative outlet.