Examine Your Stuff

Sometimes it feels like we are all hamsters furiously running on a wheel and getting nowhere. We work, make money to buy stuff that will supposedly make us happy and work some more to buy more stuff. Where does it end? Do we ever look to see if the stuff that we buy will actually give us real and lasting pleasure? I'm not against having material goods. I like having stuff too, but I like to think that I choose my stuff carefully and wisely. For example, I like to cook and some of the equipment I use tend to be a bit pricey. Some of my favorite high-end kitchen tools include a Wusthof chef and pairing knife and my All-Clad chicken fryer/saute pan and dutch oven. I brought them because I wanted to invest my time and money in researching and purchasing kitchen tools that would (hopefully) last forever. Although they cost considerably more than items in similar categories, they are worth what I paid for them. I use them all the time and they perform as well as when I first purchased them. So far I am very satisfied and happy with these products and hope that I will never have to purchase another similar cookware or knife again. And just because I favor those high line items, does not mean that I will turn my nose up on an inexpensive cast iron skillet. As a matter of fact, I have two of those in different sizes and they perform great as nonstick pans. I hope that I will never have to purchase one of those again either.

I only mention this because I see them as a life investment. You do your research and purchase something that will give you a lifetime of usefulness and move on. What bothers me about having a lot of stuff is wastefulness. Some people will buy stuff on a whim, use it, realize that its no good and then buy more stuff. We have become a throwaway society. Some things are not built to last anymore, nay, are designed not to last, especially in the digital realm. Computers are cast aside when a user has been seduced by a faster new model, cell phones become outdated, not because they have stopped working, but because they are no longer "cool" and old tube TVs still in working order are replaced by a new generation of sleeker high definition flat screens. A lot of people complain about not making enough money. We are making more money than the generation before us, but we are wasting it by not carefully considering what it is that we are purchasing and if these things are really necessary to be happy. So in purchasing these things, people have saved up very little for retirement and are worried that they now have to work a little longer to maintain their chosen lifestyle. Others go into debt to acquire stuff that will eventually lapse into "obsolescence" in an obscenely faster rate than ever before. People will talk about salaries that have stagnated and not been keeping up with the rate of inflation, but the fact is that people are buying more unnecessary stuff than their parents did. Just a few decades ago, very few had cell phones and thus, many were free from paying exorbitant cell phone bills. With cell phones becoming a status symbol, some felt it was the thing to do to keep up with the Joneses and now keeping up with everyone can cost upwards of $100+ a month to maintain a family plan. Not only do mom and dad need to have one, but their children need to be connected too. And how many families have more than one flat screen in the home? When there was only one television in the home, the family would sit and watch a show together during family time. Today, family members may retreat into their own spaces to watch their own shows with each individual becoming more isolated than before. Is having more than one television really a good use of money, if seen in this perspective?

Ok. Enough of my rant today. I'm not sure where this was going, but I felt that I needed to put it out there. Thanks for reading.

The Measure of Man's Worth

I was thinking about resumes today. Resumes are generally used by employers to sum up a person's abilities. They are supposed to be indicators of what a person is capable of doing by summing up past job experiences and using them to predict their potential for future positions. However, are they a measure of a man's worth? Many people have jobs which do not accurately reflect what they are really capable of doing. One example, is homemakers. Although stay-at-home moms are not considered part of the workforce, they are extremely important to the running of a successful household. To do this, they must take on different roles: caretakers, managers, decision makers, negotiators and much more. Yet, their contributions are overlooked when they are ready to return to the workforce. All the employers see is a large gap in employment if she had taken time off to care for her young. Although she may be intelligent and experienced in life, her lack of paid employment limits her to low paying jobs. Others may have an interest in a particular field, but being unable to find anything in that field and needing to make a living, take on other jobs which may not exactly suit them. That interest and passion for something is not usually noted on a resume. Not having experience in their field of interest closes the door on their ability to find a job in that field and so they move on to the next job just because there is a paycheck behind it. It's a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

It's about time for bed now. I would write more, but I'm tired and foggy-headed right now and I fear that I won't be able to get far without getting too involved. I'll put this to rest right now and call it my post for this evening.

What Now?

I finally submitted my essay along with a short description of my qualifications. Shortly afterwards, I received an automated confirmation e-mail stating that the information was received and will be reviewed. I wonder when I will hear back from them.

I am also waiting to hear back from a law firm to see if I am invited for another interview for their legal word processing position. If that falls through, I was thinking of going freelance and finding some work as a writer on the side. Gotta keep moving forward!