I'm feeling frustrated lately that I'm 28 and I don't seem to have advanced anywhere.
I have a bachelor's degree. In International Studies. I was discussing a certain phenomenon about academic degrees with my partner tonight. It's interesting if you think about certain academic disciplines -- a lot of them seem to exist simply for the purpose of teaching the next generation.
For instance, someone with a Masters Degree in English. What exactly is someone going to do with that degree? Teach English. To students who may indeed end up with a Master's Degree in English. So, does the degree have any purpose other than a repetitive circle of teaching and learning? And running up tons of student loan debt and profit for Sallie Mae?
I could get a Master's in International Studies, but it seems like I'd be in the same boat. As it is, my bachelor's degree and a dollar will get me a soda out of the machine at the call center where I currently work for $9.00 an hour.
It seems to me like there should be something bigger and better than this, some kind of greater reward in society for folks like myself, and those with a Master's in English, for that matter, where we can contribute our knowledge in some way, and, you know, make a career out of it. But I got out of college with absolutely no clue what to do with myself, and 6 years later, I still haven't figured it the hell out.
I keep saying that I want to be a writer, but from the dedication I don't give to this blog, that ain't happening anytime soon.
I dunno. I'm in flux at the moment, and I've been in flux for quite a few years now. And I just don't see anywhere in America that an intelligent guy like me can take his bachelor's degree and fit it into a career. And that thing cost a ton of money.
Ok, now some of it is my fault. I'm lazy, I procrastinate, I coast through things, I don't give things my full time and attention. These are problems I've had throughout my life, and I struggle with them. But surely, for heaven's sake, George Bush was a complete flake as a young kid, ...then again, he was handed the presidency on a silver platter by his father and the corporations that own his family.
Still, this American dream thing just ain't happening for me. And I really think we as a society ought to do something to move intelligent, thoughtful people, who just don't have a clue what to do with themselves, into positions of respect, or at least give them a career that is meaningful and lucrative. I don't see that anywhere.
And so I sit, watching television, playing Warcraft, occasionally blogging, and working at a meaningless job making barely a living wage. Thanks, American capitalism. You're great.
