I just wanna get paid June 30, 2008

There is nothing on earth like looking for a job when you actually NEED one.

I’ve always been the type to look through job postings at places I think I’d like to work, just to stay informed. Things change entirely, however, when you are simply trying to find a way to make a paycheck. It sucks. I’ve applied for nearly 30 ‘real’ jobs since I got the boot two weeks ago, and I’m still waiting to hear back from people. I filed my claim for unemployment, as well. I hope to not have to rely on that service, but I don’t want to run out of money and my not having a job is not my choice.

This whole situation is terribly frustrating. When I first busted my way into the journalism school in the spring of 2005, I was optimistic, excited to learn and willing to defend the newspaper industry to the death. People who’d been in the industry for decades would ask “What makes you want to do this? Don’t you know newspapers are going down the toilet?” to which I would happily reply: “Newspapers will sell as long the content is worth reading,” etc. I still think that’s true, but now I realize that instead of focusing on the content and advertising strategies that just might save the industry as a whole, newspaper corporations are hiring analysts to come in and slash and burn their employees, ie: the people who generate and moderate that content. I hate that my opinion of the industry has changed from blind optimism to reluctant acknowledgment of downfall. I used to be a cheerleader; Now, I’m one of the latest, probably youngest, victims.

So, I’m moving to St. Louis with Dan to pursue a job that will allow me to use my skills. Unfortunately, I don’t think any reliable position that falls into that category will have anything to do with newspapers. It makes me sad, and I hope that the industry will get it together before it’s too late.

We started a new blog June 30, 2008

Dan and I started a new blog where we’ve combined our forces to comment on movies, TV shows, video games, advertisements, society and the like. We’ll alternate ideas and give our different takes on a variety of topics. To read the blog and be added to our mailing list, go here.

To suggest topics for us to write about, e-mail us at HickleStory@gmail.com.

First posting topic: He plays video games, I watch them. Find out which game was the most painful I’ve ever had to sit through.

Oh, you so wanna know. June 23, 2008

If you’re friends with me, there’s a good chance you know Dan. He’s chronicled our week here.

It has been long. It has been annoying. It has been painful. Long story short: I got laid off and neither of us have jobs. We blew a tire and hit a deer on the way back to Missouri. My grandma has cancer. Etc.

BUT:

We are OK. If nothing else, we’ve realized that life can always, ALWAYS, be worse.

We filed our paperwork to break our lease and have our apartment here until July 17.  We’re moving in with Dan’s mom, who has some extra space.  We’re applying for jobs in St. Louis like crazy people (with college degrees).

So, don’t worry.  We’re happy to be moving closer to home.  If you know of any jobs anywhere in the Midwest (St. Louis, Chicago, etc.) pass them along to us.

We look forward to seeing you, despite the circumstances.

Keep your ducks in a row. June 4, 2008

A lot changed after I graduated from college.  Within a six-week period, I finished school, moved to the East Coast, started working a real job and got married.  Now that Dan and I have combined our incomes, we have significantly more money than we did when we are college.  I can see how one could become caught up in the business of acquiring stuff with their money.  I, however, have to come realize that I much prefer the art of adding to my experiences and memories.

I won’t be able to take all of my stuff with me wherever I go.  On a bad day, the thought of the new camera on my desk or the fresh pair of shoes in my closet isn’t going to cheer me up.  Memories of the places I’ve gone, the things I’ve seen and the people I’ve met, on the other hand, never cease to bring a smile to my face.

If you move across the country, or around the world, you can’t take your dream home with you.  But you will be able to take the mental snapshots of that cathedral you saw in Spain or the train station you walked through in Germany.  You can recall what it felt like to ride up to the top of the Arch that tiny, cramped elevator with the little boy who wouldn’t stop picking his nose.  Or you can just remember the view from the top, looking out over the St. Louis skyline (it’s your choice to exercise a selective memory).

Everyone knows the phrase ‘Money can’t buy you happiness.’  That’s true, to some extent. But I would argue that money can be a valid pathway to happiness. It just depends on how you choose to use it.