No Such Thing

Warning: Self-referential post below



Funny: I was reading Brazen Careerist today and Penelope mentions the importance of community-building and making connections with others. Just this weekend, I had one of those "a-ha! moments" when thinking about my current state of affairs. (Like, State of Thy Self addresses or something...in my head. Not aloud. I mean, I talk to myself, but I don't give speeches or anything like that.)

So adulthood really isn't that much different than your high school/adolescence/teenage years. At least mine. Forgive me if this gets too LiveJournal for you.

Griping about the 'rents
I spent some time with an associate of mine who is struggling to come to grips with moving back home with his parents. In the middle of our Saturday brunch session, his mother calls. To bitch about a bill she got from Saks.

Friend: Yeah, Mom. Whatever. I hate when you call me about stupid stuff. Whatever. *hangs up*
Me: Parents totally suck.
Friend: Tell me about it.

Sharing a locker...or a house
Having a roommate is much like sharing a locker. I see my roommate here and there, and the rest of the time she is down the hallway at her boyfriend's locker. Her boyfriend is in a band.

You have a shitty hourly rate job
Yep. Check. I have one on the weekends. We have stupid uniforms and my coworkers are the objects of crushes for different customers. Very reminiscent of this famous high school movie.

Bosses are like teachers
My boss is always pissed that I am late for work. Much like my teachers in school. Hell, like my professors in college. Plus you hate going to work, but you have to go. Much like school. There are deadlines and I hate every assignment that comes across my desk. At work, there is pressure to reach goals...sorta like getting on honor roll. The only difference now is that I could care less about success.

Friendships are hard to manage
My ex-friend and I were like Pres and VP of Student Council, but since our falling out, it's been weird. We can't go to the same dances. If one of our friends throws a party, which one of us goes? I run into people who associate with him and it's like this:

Person: I saw Ex-Friend the other day. He looks great.
Me: Oh, we're still not talking.
Person: Oh. Sorry. I mean...um...you look great, too.

And like in high school, you have to then move on and get a replacement. Easier said than done and much easier when in school than when you're an adult. Penelope touches on this in her posting from today. She talks about how having friendships at work are important. For me, it's as if all my friends go to a different school, because I am not exactly friends with my coworkers. Not like at my other jobs.

And it still sucks if you hear about a party that you're not invited to. There are bars and clubs where all the cool kids go - places you should go if you want to be seen. There are still cliques and types: the hippies, the preps, the glams, the nerds. Now, the hippies and nerds live in the east side in Cleveland Heights. The preps live in Ohio City, the posers live in Tremont. The artsy kids live wherever. The glams (read: the gays and the women who love them) live in Lakewood....something like that.

People like me for my personality
Like in high school, I am always the funny friend, but never the hot one. Like in high school, I obsess about my looks. I have wicked acne. I have crushes that will never be requited. So there is always a pack of prettier, slimer, more popular girls all throughout life.

I am heavily involved in extracurriculars
There's always something to do after work. Always.

Boys and sex
No boys in high school. No boys now. No sex in high school. No sex now. Nothing has changed.

Other nuances
There are dress codes.
I take a bus.
There are weird janitors that lurk around.
I still need lunch money.

I just found out theres no such thing as the real world
Just a lie you've got to rise above
~ John Mayer, "No Such Thing" from Room for Squares