Television epiphanies

Yesterday evening N and I were watching television; there was not much on, so we were flipping through the channels, checking out some of the ridiculously absurd programs that pass for entertainment these days. One such delight is "Teen Mom" on MTV, a reality program which follows the lives of at least four different women trying to hack it as moms. What was grotesquely entertaining at the time now leaves me feeling incredibly uncomfortable and voyeuristic.

One mother, a girl who would have been considered gorgeous in my high school class, was engaged to marry the father of her child. Days after she went dress shopping for her wedding, her fiancee returned home after a blue-collar business trip of some sort. Hours later, he left with his friends to party, forgetting to tell his child, who he hadn't seen in over a week, goodbye. On another occasion, he doesn't return home until after 8 in the morning. Eventually, she packs her bags and leaves her ring and her fiancee's house behind, hoping to find something better for her and her son's* future.

I scoffed at another couple as they introduced themselves to me in this episode by conversing in front of their school, discussing their impending senior year, and how they felt their maturity was worlds above that of their classmates. This was the couple that, in what may have been their only moment of precociousness and clarity, opted to give their child up for adoption. Rather than cut the cord (excuse the pun), however, the couple chose to continue to be a part of their daughter's life -- at the total discretion of the new, adoptive parents, it seems. It is clear that this young woman knows she made the right decision; she cannot care for this child, materially or temporally. It is also clear that this couple is incredibly immature and we are shown no glimmers of motivation for a future of any kind. And yet -- the pain this mother feels, and the empathy I have for that pain, when she writes a letter of love and apology to her young daughter, and then realizes she has no last name, let alone an address, is very real.

In between the tacky animated baby book segues that literally cut and paste the story lines for you, in case you get lost, the cutesie voice overs, and the theme song that's subtle enough for the subject matter of the show but catchy enough to draw viewers in, you have some very unentertaining reality. You have a woman who, realizing it is too late to get her high school diploma, finds that the last shot she had at proving to her mother that she was not a failure has slipped through her fingers. You have a mother who is finally coming to terms with the fact that her child may very well be gone for good. But make sure to tune in next week!.... though I'm pretty sure I've forgotten why.

***

On a brighter note, in the midst of this program, MTV played a little snippet of a live act: Passion Pit. N's exact words: "Is this what music has become today?" I didn't think the music was all that bad, but I did have to admit that the screeching falsetto was a bit much.

Later in the evening, much later, after a couple glasses of wine, N and I are reading some supposedly funny crap on the internet with the TV on in the background, and I catch the end of some commercial. I look up in time to see that the commercial is for the Palm Prix cell phone (w/e...). "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" "That commercial! Quick, google Palm Prix commercial song." N looks at me like I'm nuts, so I literally grab the computer from his lap and do it myself. And low and behold, it was a song by Passion Pit! And not only was it a song, it was a mega awesome video as well. To be honest, I kind of wish it was just the track, without the dude singing over it. I love how it begins... reminds me of Since I Left You by the Avalanches...

For your audiovisual pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zherMkcXdo

Also, Passion Pit is at the House of Blues on Jan 6th. Should I go? Go to hypem.com, look them up, and tell me what you think in the comments section.



And, Check out the post time for this post. :D

Tomorrow: Seeking job advice!




*Just to add some levity.... she named her son Bentley. Like the car.

How to run a business successfully, in this, the busiest retail season!

1. Keep your store at a balmy 63 degrees or lower. Not only does this motivate your employee(s) to keep finding things to do to keep themselves warm, it also pushes customers to purchase items without trying them on,* as they are reluctant to take off their coat in the chilly fitting room.**

2. Keep your inventory low. While this may seem self defeating, it actually boosts visits! You'd be surprised how many passersby will stop in to ask if you are going out of business!

3. Forgo a sign, and perhaps even a name.*** Once again, a choice that to some may seem detrimental is actually quite effective. Many customers are intrigued by a blank storefront -- it adds an air of mystery! Others may stop in just to ask if you have a name, or if you plan on getting a sign any time soon, and then stay to look at your product!

4. Keep the same merchandise on the floor for extended periods of time. Leaving the same dresses and slacks out for nine months running will actually train your sales staff to be more creative in their floor design, especially during the holiday season, finding new ways to display the tired, dated merchandise to give the illusion of new shipments.

These are just a few tips, tailored for the holiday season. Other, generalized tips include not having a steamer on hand (it's like a do-it-yourself silk scarf purchase!), and saving money by ignoring pesky basic repairs**** and having your employees use their own cell phones rather than have a land line installed. Though times are hard financially for many of us, by following these easy tips, if opening your own store is your dream, I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!!



*This only truly works with a pre-existing "no refunds, store credit only" policy.
**A lack of insulation is also pleasant to shoppers and employees alike; nothing encourages a buying mindset like the long whistle-moan of sharp, cold winter wind competing with the classical renditions of Holiday music piped in through the speakers!
***Goes hand in hand with item #2; a lack of sign also prompts people to believe you are going out of business -- and the lure of "going out of business" sales at this time of year is hard to resist!
****Seriously, for years people survived without running water... what's eight months of a broken sink? Just empty the grey water from the bucket into the toilet! And if sewage fumes are coming up from the broken pipe, light a candle!! Problem solved... for free!

I'm a really bad blogger.

You'd think, with the job that I have, that I would be an awesome blogger. Apparently that is not the case. Instead, I use my time at work to play with the curling iron someone gave away to our basement*, play text twist, read books about strange loners who donate their entire estate to a nation they have never visited or have any connection to whatsoever (ours) to create a museum (the Smithsonian) for the people, rearrange the items on the shelves, write out receipts and wrap sold items in tissue paper... oh wait, those last two are the parts I'm actually getting paid for!

I got into grad school! This sounds like a victory, for a girl who whines about her job as much as I do, and has been out of undergrad going on two years now. However, I just got my financial aid packet, and was told that FAFSA had awarded me $22,000 in loans. FOR ONE SEMESTER. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. There is no way I am going to be able to foot the bill for SIX SEMESTERS of this. That's $120 grand... law students pay that much to get their degree, and justify it with their immediate exorbitant paycheck. This is not something I can expect, as an archivist. I'm going to get drinks with an old classmate of mine tonight to discuss MAT programs -- the next step in making me a permanent teacher, rather than a temporary 5-year one. Perhaps this will be a cheaper, more realistic, though less fulfilling option... Then again, maybe I just need to schedule an appointment with a financial aid officer and discuss my options. Perhaps I am misleading myself! Wouldn't be the first time I've jumped the gun.

I cannot wait to go home for Christmas, and I think the feeling is mutual... my sister seems excited, at least! N and I will arrive in the Big D (and I *DO* mean Dallas!) late on the 22nd, and I'm staying until early morning New Year's Eve. N is flying north to see his family the Sunday after Christmas; I think his family was a bit upset*** that he was not spending Christmas and New Years with them, but were happy all the same that they were going to get to see him for a bit. His sister M flies out right after the New Year to Malaysia to teach English on a Fulbright Scholarship, so I won't see her for quite a bit! Unless I decide to take a trip to Malaysia... which I suppose is not entirely out of the question. The old me would have said that was a ridiculous thing to say, but the new me thinks that maybe this is an amazing opportunity to see a part of the world that most people I know would never get to see -- a once in a lifetime chance to experience something amazing.

I have a feeling exciting things are going to happen this holiday season... So blogging is going to commence full steam, starting now. Welcome to my life, guys. :)






*It's pretty common to walk through our basement and find a table full of stuff that other people no longer want. I'd say 75% of the time this is crap, but 15%** of the time the stuff is awesome goodies, things that you actually need or want -- like, for instance, a curling iron (something I'd love to have, but would never actually purchase for myself), or a neato unique beaded necklace, or file folders that I used to store my scrapbooking stuff, or a $75 reversible thigh-length rain coat.
** I know that you're thinking that my math is off... 75% + 15% = 90%, leaving an extra 10% unaccounted for! This extra 10% is actually the shit that you THINK is amazing, and you lug up to your apartment, only to realize later (anywhere from months/days/weeks to literally WHILE you are carrying it up the stairs) that it really IS crap, and there was a reason it was sitting on that freaking table. It will then sit in my entryway, on the floor or table, for days/weeks until we remember to take it down with us and put it BACK on the table.
***Though they were pretty pissed in the nicest, most gracious way possible, this is definitely the biggest understatement of the holiday season so far.

A Return to the Public Diary

Once upon a time, a naive, angsty teenage girl had a blog. She used this blog to air out her dirty laundry to all the world, and she succeeded in wondrous fashion. Hints were dropped to many near and far; sometimes this worked in her favor, and other times this did not. Eventually, the naive, angsty teenage girl grew frustrated with the superficiality of the private diary, and began talking to people in person, rather than talking herself in circles in an online forum, hoping that certain people happen to read that day's post and catch her drift.

Ahhh, the young girl has blossomed into a woman. And has somehow returned to blogging. I blame it on my naive, angsty brother, who, happily, does not use his blog to air dirty laundry, but rather to share witticisms worthy of the creation of a blog.

Basically, though, this is going to be my attempt at being real. Being real with myself, being real about the people around me, being real about the world I live in. So, without further ado...

Oh, and by the way? Title of this blog = heavy dose of optimism. :) And I don't live in Albuquerque.