Bittersweet Friends

Dear Job,

Don’t you know that I’ve been trying to contact you for some time? You are unavailable to have coffee. You never make time to go to the movies with me. And frankly, you aren’t returning my calls or my letters. I’m beginning to think that you are avoiding me. Are you just not that into me? Is it another girl who does photography, graphic design and sews angry foods? Perhaps we should get some counseling, because clearly, we aren’t communicating.

Love, Chrissy

SERIOUSLY. I know the ever-constant bombardment of news that urges us to NOT PANIC, BUT THE ECONOMY IS COLLAPSING AND EVERYONE IS LOSING THEIR JOBS! but honestly, this is getting ridiculous. Shit, I’ve been looking for work solidly for about a month. I have been semi-looking for work for a couple of months. And the money is slowly dwindling. Ideally, I would like to put my$50,000 graphic design degree to some use, as at the moment it’s really just acting as a dust holder and decorative reminder of good times past. I’m trying not to lose hope. I really don’t want to go back to being a barista, or a customer service rep. Or a book shelver. But I’m getting desperate. How is it that only 1 year ago every shop in the lower mainland had signs in the window PLEADING for workers. For once, the minimum wage jobs were having to boost their wages in order to draw people to them. Now it seems that even university educated people are fighting for those jobs. I guess like the real estate market there are ups and downs.

They have coined this the summer of “Funemployment” here in Vancouver. Which is partly true. One can hardly argue that spending one’s day in the sun, wandering around the city, swimming in the ocean and being creative isn’t the most terrible thing that could happen. I have been enjoying it immensely myself, but I *need* to be making money now. I may be able to scrape together rent for next month (which conveniently they are raising starting in August) but other than that, I have no idea. It’s scary as hell. And a bit exciting. I’ve been learning that I’m more adaptable than I originally thought… I’m open to fate taking me in different directions. Seemingly “bad” things in the past have led me to more interesting opportunities in the future. Maybe if I become a barista the creative director of a major publisher will come in and we’ll become friends – viola! Dream job. (I’m not holding my breath, but it is a lovely daydream).

In the meantime I’ve been connecting with old friends who I’ve missed terribly, going fishing, cramming to get some more flower bracelets made for the upcoming Plush Jewels part of the Plush You show in October at Schmancy in Seattle. And drinking copious amounts of coffee. It’s a tough life, isn’t it? Chin up to all those also looking for jobs – we will find something eventually…