Living a Life of Passion

"...the only life worth living is one that you're really passionate about." - Glee

I've been thinking about this quote for quite some time as I contemplated career paths and debated between job offers. And through this thinking I have focused on one main question: what is my passion? Though I pursued a degree in graphic design, which is enjoyable work for me, I am hesitant to say that is my passion. Those who are passionate about art spend their free time making art, something I am not known to do. I think my passion is people. When relationships are integral parts of my responsibilities, I take great joy in my work. I would like to find myself back in Residence Life somewhere, where the job is about people.

One of the job offers I was considering was at an organization passionate about relieving poverty in Central PA. I would have loved to take that job and develop a personal passion for poverty relief. The people I met at the office were great, and it would have been a wonderful experience doing my year of service there. The second job offer is at a company where I would do more commercial work. However, the position granted the flexibility to return to Boston in the summer to do Residence Life. In the end, I accepted the second job. The decision wasn't about which job I was more passionate about, but what job would allow me to do what I was truly passionate about, which is Residence Life.

A few days ago, I drew up a flow chart to figure out my options for the future (I'm a visually oriented fan of organization and planning). Right now I am preparing to start my 6-month to 1-year job/internship on October 19th. At the end of the internship, I have to decide if I like the company enough to stay there permanently, if the position is offered. Yes, I stay. No, I go to grad school for counseling/higher education/student affairs and work toward becoming a Residence Director. As you can see on the chart (click to enlarge the picture), I am now at Job A. One path will lead me to a career in graphic design. All the other paths lead me to grad school. Time will tell where I end up. I just have to focus on the immediate future and living a life that I am passionate about.

Glee Episode #4: Preggers

Word of the Day (not so much a recurring word, but a theme): Honesty. In this episode, the characters don't talk about honesty, but instead demonstrate how difficult it is. Though lying and deceit seem so much easier, they only complicate matters in the long run. Honesty will win eventually, and some of the characters realize how much better life is when lived honestly.

Kendra: What do you think he's going to do when he finds out you lied?
Terri: Oh God, I don't know. I've got to tell him the truth. I've got to tell him and I've got to deal with the consequences.
Kendra: Are you insane? Dishonesty is food to a marriage. It will die without it.
It gives me hope that Terri has some sense of morality. She recognizes that the right thing to do is be honest with her husband, though there are consequences for her lies and she may run the risk of losing him. I lose a bit of hope in Terri (and humanity) to see people like her sister Kendra, who think that dishonesty can do anything positive for a marriage, let alone sustain it. Dishonesty is what kills marriages and relationships (though Kendra probably uses it to trick her husband into staying married). Successful relationships, whether a marriage or a friendship, have a foundation of honesty. I can say from experience that the vulnerability required to be honest with someone is very difficult, but it allowed me (and the relationship) to emerge from that moment stronger than before.

Kurt: Finn, I needed to ask you something.
Finn: Thanks, but I already have a date to the prom. But I'm flattered. I know how important dances are to teen gays.
Kurt: I'm not gay.
Finn: Oh.
The ability to be honest is based on trust. You have to trust the other person not to hurt you in that moment of vulnerability. Glee has allowed Kurt and Finn to develop trust in one another, but the social mechanics of high school carry an inherent distrust between classes. Kurt has yet to build enough trust in Finn to be honest about his sexuality, though after this episode that might change.

Sandy: It is so wonderful to finally have some Sandy time. I have my bridge game on Fridays, Saturdays I am fully committed to the local cat rescue...
Sue: Sandy, let's cut the crap.
Sandy: *sobs* I'm living in a cocoon of horror. Yesterday, I ate nine cans of aerosol whipped cream.
It can be hard to admit the truth, especially if it is somewhat shameful. But being honest with yourself is the key to moving forward. Others cannot help or comfort you until you can be honest with yourself.

"I hear this poor girl is so ashamed that she can't tell anybody. Can you imagine having to hide something like that? All that effort covering that up?" - Will
It takes more muscles to frown than to smile. In the same way, it takes more work to maintain a lie than to confess the truth. When will Will realize how much effort Terri is putting into covering up her own mess?

"I'm just somebody who wants to help." - Terri
Half-hearted promises of benevolence can be some of the most damaging lies, because they lead people to develop trust in those they shouldn't trust. These are the kind of lies that lure children into shady vans and trap people in toxic relationships.

Kurt: I have something that I want to say. I'm glad that you're proud of me, but I don't want to lie anymore. Being a part of the glee club and football has really showed me that I can be anything, and what I am is... I'm gay.
Kurt's Dad: I know.
Kurt: Really?
KD: I've known since you were three. All you wanted for your birthday was a pair of sensible heels. I guess I'm not totally in love with the idea, but if that's who you are, there's nothing I can do about it. And I love you just as much. Thanks for telling me, Kurt. You're sure, right?
Kurt: Yeah, Dad. I'm sure.
KD: Just checking.
When a child is different from the parents' hopes or expectations, it can be hard for the parents to accept their child's decision. Not all parents are so accepting as Kurt's dad, whether the matter at hand is careers or sexuality. It was so heartwarming to watch the conversation between Kurt and his dad, to see the unconditional love the father had for his son. My favorite part of the conversation was when Kurt's dad thanked him for coming out to him, because his sexuality wasn't really a secret. The conversation was more so a demonstration of Kurt's trust in his own father.

"To them I say, shake it up a bit. Get out of your box! Even if that box happens to be where you are living... It's not easy to break out of your comfort zone. People will tear you down, tell you you shouldn't have bothered in the first place, but let me tell you something. There's not much difference between a stadium of cheering fans and an angry crowd screaming abuse at you. They're both just making a lot of noise. How you take it is up to you. Convince yourself they're cheering for you. You do that, and someday they will." - Sue
This doesn't have anything to do with honesty... Normally, everything Sue says is offensive to some people group and can be ignored, but I understand what she says here. Perspective has a way of changing the negative to positive. And Sue Sylvester quotes can be more meaningful when you omit the bit about how homeless people should try not being homeless for a change.

Glee Episode #3: Acafellas

Words of the day: Guts and confidence. Some people lack one or the other, and the lucky ones are blessed with both. At times, a boost in confidence gives you the guts to do what you never thought you could. At other times, it takes guts to show just how confident you can be.

"Being a man is all about one thing: guts." - Will's dad
Perhaps guts really is what separates the boys from the men. When I say "guts", I don't mean jumping off a bridge, even if you might break some bones (or worse). A boy will do whatever people say without fear of consequences, but that is not "guts." That's idiocy. "Guts," according to the dictionary, is having courage when it really matters. A man will act in spite of what others may say or the personal consequences he faces, because he wants to follow his heart or do something that matters. Of course, "guts" is not gender exclusive; for girls, though, I'd venture to say the bridge is probably more metaphorical.

"They say it takes more certainty than talent to be a star. I mean, look at John Stamos." - Emma
Don't knock John Stamos (Uncle Jesse forever!), but Emma has a point. Talentless celebrities like Paris Hilton or Heidi Montag (or any other reality TV star transitioning into acting or music) demonstrate how it doesn't take talent these days to be famous. But if they're certain in themselves enough to get out there, I guess there's no stopping them. Talent will get them further than the limited success that these "stars" experience.

"He knows who he is, and that's great. And there really is nothing sexier in a man than confidence." - Emma
It's true. Guys who are comfortable in their own skin seem more attractive, even if they are not the most physically appealing. It's like how a salesperson is more effective if they are confident in their product - why would anyone else want to buy it if the salesperson doesn't even believe in it?

"Two weeks ago, I would have agreed that four grown men rehearsing a capella hip-hop in my living room was embarrassing. But busting out some white hot new jack swing - I'll tell you, I've never felt more confident." - Will

"Seeing me feel so good about myself made my wife more attracted to me in every way." - Will

"Of course he doesn't want anything to do with us after you kicked him in the nads... He just doesn't have the confidence to coach us anymore. Guys are really sensitive when it comes to this kind of stuff." - Finn
I tend to forget that guys can be sensitive. Being sensitive isn't a stereotypically "manly" quality, but I suppose if there's anything for a guy to be sensitive about, it would be his manliness. Many guys try to put up a facade of strength, and any suggestion of weakness would be enough to strip away their confidence.

"Is this one of those chick things where you're pissed about one thing but you're just pretending like you're pissed about something else?" - Finn
While this has nothing to do with confidence, I just wanted to point out the insight Finn has, despite his dumb jock image. Not everyone realizes that girls do this, but maybe he has seen Quinn or his mom do this enough that he has caught on to our ways.

"I have enough confidence to say out loud that what happened between us in the auditorium was real. You have feelings for me and you just don't have the guts to admit it." - Rachel
The bullying that Rachel faces at school would be enough to kill the confidence of any high school student, but this girl is so sure of herself (sometimes bordering on unknowingly arrogant) that she can maintain her confidence in the face of social hierarchy. Finn is not comfortable enough in his own skin to defy high school social conventions by facing the truth. I have yet to be as confident as Rachel. Only within the past couple years have I been able to talk to and make friends with the "popular" kids - and it's usually because they are so confident in themselves they don't realize the social divide when they start talking to me.

"Am I hurting your feelings? Did I say something wrong? Because I thought you wanted somebody who respected you enough to tell you the truth. But maybe you don't have the confidence to hear it. Maybe you need somebody who's going to lie to you and tell you things like, 'You've got what it takes.'" - Dakota Stanley, champion choreographer
In a way, Dakota is right. I would rather have someone respect me enough to tell me the truth instead of feeding me lies. And it does take a bit of confidence in yourself not to take remarks too personally. When someone critiques my art work, I have to remember that they are not necessarily criticizing me. The lines become blurry with the art form of dance, where the artist is the art. However, there's a difference between constructive criticism and insult. If I only heard insults, which are damaging to the individual, I would never develop enough confidence to handle the criticism.

"It's never too late to grow a pair and go after your dreams." - Will's dad
What dreams do you want to go after? Mine may have something to do with the pair of pointe shoes sitting underneath my bed.

Mercedes: You shouldn't be ashamed of who you are, Kurt... The whole point of the club is about expressing what's really inside you, remember?
Kurt: I can't. I'm just not that confident, I guess.
Expressing what's inside of you takes a lot of guts, because you risk the rejection of your true self. It's just fascinating (and not uncommon) how someone like Kurt, who seems so confident on the outside, can be so insecure on the inside.

"When you really believe in yourself, you don't have to bring other people down." - Quinn
Whether or not she would like to admit it, Sue Sylvester doubts her ability to outdo the glee club and tries to take them down in order to secure her superiority. It's like what we've always learned - bullies are just insecure and need to put everyone down in order to feel better about themselves. Those who believe in themselves see no need for comparison, no need to be superior. Kurt, held captive by social hierarchy, copes with his insecurity by telling himself he is superior to everyone else, when in reality (according to Finn) everyone is a loser.

*Last week's post was rather lengthy, so from here on out I plan on only including meaningful quotes or ones that relate to the episode theme (word of the day).

Seeking the Gray

When I take personality tests, I sit stumped. Everything I know about myself suddenly becomes gray, and I realize I would prefer to be black and white. As much as I would hate to be put into a box in any other situation, I answer each question wishing I could just fit neatly into one category or the other. I remember taking one particular test and getting the same results for all four possible outcomes. Others weighed heavily in one category or another while I floated smack dab in the middle of the spectrum. I wondered in frustration if I had answered the questions wrong somehow. Why am I so... undefinable? Do I have this multi-faceted personality because I become whatever people want me to be? Or am I really just the type who is a bit of everything and dwells in that fuzzy middle ground? The gray area.

All of this is to say, I don't know how I feel about change. When personality tests ask questions about change, I really don't know how to answer. I handle change well and like the way it breaks up boredom and monotony - but I am also a big fan of routine and organization. I am not afraid to get a drastic haircut (every two years over Christmas break at Hair Cuttery). I can purge piles of unworn clothes from my wardrobe (before arranging what's left by color and order of most recent use, and placing my socks in the second drawer as always).

I am excited about possibly starting a new job and moving into a place of my own in a few weeks. At the same time, my parents' casual comments about selling the house and moving to Florida in a few years leave me slightly unnerved. (Don't get me wrong. My parents' move to Florida will be a great thing, but having it as a common topic of conversation catches me off guard at times.) There is some kind of comfort in the constant - the two years between haircuts, the sock drawer, my parent's house. It is the safety net that allows me to leap after change into the unknown. A world without constant contains nothing but change and feels dangerous. A world without change feels boring and monotonous. I need the constant in order to embrace change, and I need change to appreciate the constant. I need both, because I dwell in the gray.

NINE

So yesterday was 9/9/09 - a supposedly lucky day because of the triple 9's. And it was the 252nd day of the year, and 2 + 5 + 2 = 9. It was a pretty good day, I must say. In honor of the special occasion, here are 9 good things that happened during the day.

1. I got my hair cut. I've been contemplating bangs for about a week now, and finally did it! AND I didn't hate it. I have to start wearing my contacts more often, because my glasses look silly with bangs now.
2. I discovered MyLifeIsAverage.com and have spent many happy hours since then. It's kind of like FML, but positive. And it makes me laugh, which makes me feel good. There are a lot of nods to ninjas, Batman, and Harry Potter. Now I want a vintage Batman t-shirt. Here are some good MLIAs:

• Today, I drank Kool-Aid. A giant pitcher of juice did not break into my home. MLIA.
• Today, I filled a Windex bottle with blue Gatorade. I then sprayed it into my mouth infront of my mother. She began to panic and scream and get hysterical. I thought it was funny. She didn't. MLIA
• Today, I was thinking about the expression 'revenge is a dish best served cold'. Then I considered that 'revenge is sweet'. I've come to the conclusion that revenge is ice cream. MLIA
• Today I had rice. I'm Asian. MLIA

3. I had macaroni and cheese for dinner. I've been craving it for a while and finally went to the store and bought two boxes.
4. Outside of the grocery store, two guys from a karate school offered me a free week of cardio kick-boxing. I turned them down, but secretly wished they had offered me karate lessons or had mentioned ninjas.
5. I got a call from my alma mater, where I applied to be a receptionist at College Press. They wanted to set up a phone interview, which I had today. I found out that the job goes from Mid-August to May, and pays over $10 an hour, which sounds perfect for me.
6. I got to watch the premiere of So You Think You Can Dance - Season 6! The season is off to a great start, and I'm glad they are showing more spectacular dancers than duds. Ryan Kasprzak auditioned last season with his brother Evan, but was cut from the Top 20 while Evan made the Top 4. Hopefully after his audition last night, it'll be his turn to be one of America's favorite dancers.

7. GLEE. I have been waiting for this day all summer long, since they first aired the Pilot episode. I enjoy swooning over singing boys too much. Thankfully Cory Monteith is not really in high school, but rather a 27-year-old, so it's okay to swoon. "This dance ain't for errbody. Only the sexy people."
8. I found a voice mail on my cell phone after Glee was over, from my friend/old boss. She had just finished watching Glee and was trying to tell me in between laughing spurts the lines she thought was funniest. I saved it to my phone, because it was that great.
9. I slept in a bed. Each week in church, we share things we are grateful for, and when no one has anything to share, my pastor reminds us we have a bed. We can be thankful for that.

Glee Episode #2: Showmance

Word of the day: Compromise. This episode, everyone wants it. Others don't really understand what it means.

Finn: Let me help you with that.
Rachel: Thanks Finn. You're so chivalrous.
Finn: Thanks! That's a good thing, right?
Yes, Finn is rather chivalrous. I was really impressed that he would help Rachel in public, because that could definitely damage his reputation. I guess he is starting to settle into his own without fear of what others think, but it is still a challenge for him.

"One day, you will all work for me." - Kurt Hummel
It looks like Kurt is beginning to stand up for himself, and maybe one day he won't end up inside the dumpster.

Quinn: Let's compromise. If you quit the club, I'll let you touch my breast.
Finn: Under the shirt?
Quinn: Over the bra.
Finn: No, no. I can't. I want to do Glee. I'm really happy when I perform.
Congrats to Finn for choosing Glee over some booty. Also, it wasn't until now that I realized the couple is "Finn & Quinn" - and it just sounds ridiculous. Couple's names shouldn't rhyme.

"You try to bust my face again, and I will cut you." - Mercedes
I can only think of Bon Qui Qui when I hear that phrase. And that automatically makes it awesome.

"You are not giving up your craft room, Terri. A mother needs her respite. That craft room is the only thing that is going to keep you from going all Susan Smith on that little angel. Post partum runs in our family." - Kendra
I can't decide who is worse - Terri or Kendra? It looks like being plain crazy runs in their family too.

Kendra: Where are you going?
Kendra's Husband: Bathroom? All that bran.
Kendra: No, you can't. Kyle needs his inhaler.
Whipped. Let's hope that Will is better at growing a backbone. At least Will's character has a name and the guts to expose his wife's Christmas Closet.

"This banister was made by Ecuadorian children." - Real Estate Agent
Is that the big selling point these days? Nothing says luxury like child labor.

"My very own Sophie's Choice. Fine, I'm going to give up the sun nook for the grand foyer. But I really need the polished door handles." - Terri
Great analogy, Terri. Having to choose which pointless luxury to give up is just like making a life or death decision in a Nazi concentration camp. At least she is getting a taste of compromise - a house with no sun nook, but a grand foyer.

"Communication is the foundation of any successful music group. If we're going to succeed, we need to communicate." - Will
Communication is key to any relationship, musical or not. Will's marriage could use some honest communication.

Emma: Rachel, did you just throw up?
Rachel: No.
Emma: You missed the toilet.
Rachel: The girl who was throwing up before me left that. I tried, but I guess I just don't have a gag reflex.
Emma: One day when you're older that will turn out to be a gift. Let's have a little chat, okay?
I didn't get this until the second time I watched it. Oh my, Emma.

"Have you ever liked somebody so much you just want to lock yourself in your room, turn on sad music and cry?" - Rachel
I prefer my car, and listening to Marie Digby's "Better Off Alone".

"You need to remember, Rachel, to protect your heart. I don't care who he is, if he doesn't like you for the way you are, if he's married with a baby on the way. That's not worth the heartache. You don't want to compromise yourself for that... um..." - Emma
"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." - Proverbs 4:23

"Santana Lopez bent over in hers one day, and I swear I could see her ovaries." - Puck
Does Puck know what ovaries are, or did he have to look them up?

"This dance ain't for errbody. Only the sexy people." - Artie, during the performance of "Push It"
I laughed out loud when he said this. Maybe it's something about a nerdy white guy with glasses saying "errbody".

"That was the most offensive thing I've seen in 20 years of teaching. And that includes an elementary school production of Hair." - Sue
How an elementary school was able to do a musical about the sexual revolution, I do not know. My elementary school was only able to do the first act of "Into the Woods" because Act II was a bit off limits.

"My first thought was that your students should be put into foster care." - Sue

"I'm a good man, Emma. I'll treat you right, put up with your crazy. They can't fire me because I'm a minority, so I'll always be able to provide for you. You can't do much worse." - Ken Tanaka
Ken Tanaka is growing on me. He's not the skeezeball he was in the first episode, and I think he really likes Emma. I hope she has a good time at Tulipalooza.

Finn: I looked under the bed to make sure you weren't hanging out under there. But then I heard you sing. I don't know how to say this, but it touched something in me. Right here.
Rachel: Your heart is on the other side of your chest.
Finn: It's beating really hard.
So. Cute. Cue the swooning of women everywhere.

"It's not all about you, or, I realized, about me." - Will
I just hope Will realizes it can be about him sometimes, and doesn't let Terri have her way all the time.

From the Top

It's tough to choose, but I think the premiere I anticipate the most this fall is Glee. Especially after FOX aired the Director's cut of the pilot episode on Wednesday, I am excited to see what else Ryan Murphy and the other creative geniuses behind the show have in store for us. The music is fantastic, and the characters are entertaining. The script is so funny and witty that I couldn't help but online battle with my friend while watching the show - who would be the first to IM the upcoming line? Recently I posted a quote from the Pilot as my facebook status and generated response from other Glee fans who readily recognized the quote. This has given me some inspiration for a weekly blog feature where I will post some of my favorite quotes from the episode along with some commentary. This will most likely appear each Thursday, though I can't make any promises!

Here's post #1: "Pilot"

"You think this is hard?
- Try being waterboarded. That's hard. (The very first line of the entire series!)
- I'm living with hepatitis. That's hard.
Sue Sylvester, coach of the Cheerios cheerleading squad, sure knows how to motivate her "performers." I'm pretty sure this will be a recurring element of the series, and I'm definitely okay with that. I can't wait to see what unconventional bits of inspiration Sue will share next. I'm thinking positive reinforcement is not really her style.

Kurt: [As the football team prepares to throw him into the dumpster] Wait, this is Marc Jacobs' new collection.
Finn: Wait. [Kurt takes off his Marc Jacobs jacket and hands it to Finn] Okay. [Kurt meets the inside of the dumpster as Finn drops his gaze, a bit ashamed]
Oh, the first glimpse of Finn's struggling high school persona. Will he be the good guy who defends the underdog? Or will he go along with the bullying antics of his fellow football players because that's what everyone expects of him? I suppose both - or neither - depending on how you classify the middle ground of compromise.

"By its very definition, Glee is about opening yourself up to joy" - Lillian Adler, former director of the Glee Club at William McKinley High School
Glee, the show, is also about opening yourself up to joy, I think. There is something very heartwarming about watching the underdog find victory, and that seems to be the very essence of the show. It's not so much about the music as it is about this group of social outcasts trying to find their place. I also like this quote, because glee or joy doesn't just happen. We cannot experience even the most inherent happiness without allowing ourselves to be receptive to it.

"Your resentment... is delicious. Well, I have a phoner in a couple minutes. It's an interview - on the telephone with a major media outlet. I'll probably do it on my iPhone." - Sue Sylvester
This quote just embodies Sue's superiority complex. Not only does she think the Cheerios are better than any other group on campus because of their success and high standings in teenage social hierarchy, she also finds herself personally superior to her colleagues. I think we all know at least one person like that who is a chronic "one up"-er.

"My gold stars are a metaphor for me - being a star." - Rachel Berry
Rachel is quite the focused young woman, with definite goals and dreams, and the talent to achieve what she wants. But such focus comes at a price, leaving her painfully naive and socially inept - and apparently unable to construct a strong metaphor.

"But Will, I'm on my feet four hours a day, three times a week here." - Terri Schuester
Terri, the wife you just love to hate. This scene at Sheets and Things only begins to show us the kind of selfishness Will has to put up with/ignore in his marriage to Terri. It's the kind of selfishness that makes me wonder if Terri is really pregnant, or if it's one gigantic lie to keep Will on a short leash.

Sue: High school is a caste system. Kids fall into certain slots. Your jocks, your popular kids - up in the penthouse. The invisibles and the kids playing live-action druids and trolls out in the forest, bottom floor.
Will: And where do the Glee kids lie?
Sue: Sub-basement.
High school is definitely a caste system. There is, without a doubt, a social ladder to climb. I've always been the kind of person who hung out in the middle, not particularly finding favor with the popular kids but not facing their cruelty either. I probably thought I was fortunate to be above "sub-basement", but never treated them poorly because I was only a floor away from playing live-action druids.

"I have trouble with things like that. The messy things." - Emma
She's a germophobe who struggles with "the messy things." Yet what can be messier than unrequited love for a married co-worker who is about to become a father?

"Dr. Phil said that people can change. You know, it's not a bad thing to want a real life, Will. And to have a glue gun that works!" - Terri
Of course Dr. Phil wasn't speaking to her... Her materialism is almost painful.

"I like somebody else, alright? Nothing I can do about it because they're unavailable, so I have to deal with that..." - Emma
Who hasn't been there? Hopefully "dealing with it" means getting over him and not becoming a home-wrecker.

"Wait. Let's pray." - Quinn Fabray, girlfriend of Finn and president of the celibacy club, taking a break from making out with Finn
Whenever there's a Christian character on TV, I'm not sure how to feel about it. Sometimes they're super naive like Grace Bowman from Secret Life of the American Teenager. If not, they're a hypocrite like Quinn, who hosts "Christ Crusader" meetings at her house one minute and makes life miserable for Rachel the next. I haven't decided which stereotype is more frustrating, but I know characters like Quinn make it necessary for Christians to live lives of love and compassion.

"Being an adult is about having to make difficult choices." - Will
I think I will be feeling more like an adult soon...

"I'll miss you." - Will, to Emma
The completely wrong thing for a man to say to the single woman who is desperately in love with him...

"We're all losers... I'm not afraid of being called a loser, because I can accept that's what I am. But I am afraid of turning my back on something that actually made me happy for the first time in my sorry life." - Finn
I wish high school was full of people like Finn. It would make the world a better place. He's the guy you love to love, and the guy you don't mind being popular, because he's not only nice to look at but he's beautiful on the inside too.

"But provide what exactly? The understanding that money is the most important thing - or the idea that the only life worth living is one that you're really passionate about, Will?" - Emma
Wow. One of the best lines of the episode, in my opinion. It really got me thinking about the job options I have, and what my choice says about me. What would I find in a life I'm really passionate about?

"You might think that all the boys at school would totally want to tap this, but my Myspace schedule keeps me way too busy to date." - Rachel
"There is nothing ironic about show choir." - Rachel
"I want the agony out of your eyes!" - Sue
"Chicks don't have prostates. I looked it up." - Puck
These are just classic.

Check out my blog on Thursday for quotes from episode 2, "Showmance".

Welcome to the Real World

Tomorrow morning I have my first "real world" job interview. Until now, I've only had phone interviews or rejection emails (for post-grad jobs, that is). Now I have a full-day interview, beginning at 8:30 am with a loan committee meeting. I read through the 54 pages of loan information that we'll be going over at the meeting, though I'm not sure I understand all of it. But I've still been told I should go over the document and be able to point out the pros and cons of each loan. I never expected anything like this when I started applying for graphic design jobs. Who knew I would have to know about loans AND typography? I'm not sure what to expect at all out of tomorrow. After 7 meetings throughout the day, including one with the President/CEO, I have to do a presentation of a project that they are giving me 45 minutes to work on. And I'll be wearing heels all day. Now what will Friday's interview have in store, considering it's only an hour long?

The Beauty of Relationships

For someone who enjoys relationships so much and draws energy from being with other people, I haven't had the best track record with maintaining friendships. My elementary school friends didn't carry over to middle school, middle school friends didn't carry over to high school, and my high school friendships exist only on facebook. When I got to college, I decided that this pattern of dropping friends in times of transition needed to end. After all, college was suppose to be the time when you make the friendships that were supposed to last. Now that my friends are scattered around the country, I'm realizing how much effort is required to maintain the relationship. It requires communication (thank goodness for facebook and AIM) and interest.

But the beauty of the relationships that are worth the effort is that sometimes it's almost effortless. I have this one friend who was probably the first friend I made in college, but after graduation we didn't really talk to each other for about 2 to 3 months. When she got engaged, we talked to each other on the phone and the conversation was like not a moment had passed. This weekend, I get to be around campus because of a job interview in town. I have the opportunity to get together with friends while I'm in town, and I have a feeling that it won't feel like I'm visiting. These friends will make me feel like I'm just hanging out with friends - 2 hours from home.