Post-Graduation Blues

"You should stay in college as long as you can; the job market is terrible right now."

I heard some jumbled version of this message from every relative over the age of 40 this year. I wish I were exaggerating. There were reunions and holidays full of this particular brand of advice. I kept thinking, "Maybe the economy is in a recession, but there's no need for this negativity." I did not heed their advice. I graduated with the intention of taking a year off. 

This is my gap year. 

It follows a year of emotional turmoil. In all my extremely long life, I have not had this rough of a time. 

My cat almost died. I mean really. This cuteness almost perished. 

Plus other major life events happened, of the sort that I don't want to discuss in places other than my fiction.

So really, we have things to focus on besides my choice to declare a momentary cease-fire on scholarship. (Perhaps this metaphor doesn't bear the weight of any examination at all.) A person is only 22 once.

So my goal for now is to figure out exactly what my goals are. In the meantime, I'm diving into the real world and rediscovering forgotten ideals.