Thank you, Ms. Thompson

Just today I was thinking, I need to write a new post. But what to write about? I’ve done a lot of book reviews lately (and I have several more in the works), and I don’t have any new pictures of the Bwun. Luckily, Trina Thompson came to my rescue.

According to this article on CNN, Thompson graduated from Monroe College in New York 3 months ago. She is suing the college because she’s been unable to find a job and feels that the career services department should have done more to help her. With a 2.7 GPA and “a solid attendance record,” Thompson considers herself to be an excellent job candidate; however, she thinks that Monroe ought to be more actively contacting employers to set up interviews for her. In fact, she claims that the school’s “Office of Career Advancement shows preferential treatment to students with excellent grades.”

And how much is Thompson suing for? The full cost of four years’ tuition ($70,000), plus $2,000 in compensation for the stress of her three-month job search.

Are you serious? Aside from the fact that the economy isn’t so great right now (surprise, right?), and people are losing jobs, it doesn’t seem to have appeared to Thompson that maybe the college is more able to help students with better grades. Maybe employers want to hire those students. Come on, lady, three months is NOT an inordinate amount of time to be looking for a job – especially these days! – and asking for two grand to compensate for the stress you feel? How do you think everyone feels? For crying out loud!!

Mika? Roni?

I keep coming back to this issue, so my apologies if you still haven’t gotten over my last post about it.

I really don’t feel like I have a personality. Seriously. Some of you (the Romgi) may chuckle again when I say that, but it’s how I feel. When I get to know someone, I give them a mental caption describing their personality. A short caption…maybe a Twitter post. I don’t think I have a caption. I can think of specific things that I like: stripes, argyle, picture frames. But those don’t define me – at least, I don’t want them to.

I found this entry in my awesome red journal, which may do nothing more than demonstrate that I have an identity crisis approximately every 2 years:

23 August 2005 – The genuine Mika

I blush easily. I read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 6 hrs 39 min. I used to make pterodactyl noises to make my sister laugh. I gave up chocolate for a while and now it doesn’t taste as good as it used to. I have six nieces and nephews who sometimes call my sister “Aunt Mika” because they remember my name. I want a puppy more than any other tangible thing right now. I have put my whole heart and energy into Academic Decathlon, learning how to cook, and my relationship with [the Romgi]. I am risking everything on him because he’s worth the worst heartache in the world. I play the Glad Game. I dislike driving on the freeway. I watch chick flicks. I enjoy learning and using formulas in Microsoft Excel. I have spent a long time disciplining myself to be a positive, optimistic person who never complains. I am fascinated by genealogy. I edit well. I can be cheered up by a mug of Ghiradelli’s gourmet hot chocolate. I use a guided imagery cd to fall asleep. I am a terrible liar. I love little kids. I don’t want a diamond ring. I write long letters. I am just beginning to understand myself.

Ok, so obviously either some of things have changed drastically or I was trying to be funny – “positive, optimistic person who never complains”? “I love little kids”? Wow, those are so NOT me. But anyway.

Part of this personality-lessness that I feel translates as social awkwardness. I don’t know how to come across as being sincere and genuine because I have no idea what I’m genuinely like. Also (and I know the Romgi thinks I’m beyond ridiculous for this) I cannot figure out how much eye contact is too much or too little. About a year ago I read something that mentioned eye contact is a really delicate social cue, and it’s hard to find the right balance of looking at the person but not staring – and ever since then, I can’t help but dwell on it. Honestly, whenever I’m talking to someone other than the Romgi or the Bwun (yes, it does happen, occasionally) a large portion of my consciousness is dedicated to making just the right amount of eye contact. It’s exhausting, and I think it contributes to my lack of sincerity…

Now, I hope that you’ll point out that I’m wrong, but I have this idea that motherhood tends to erase your identity, or at least blur it a lot. So I kind of want to feel that I had some identity in the first place to be blurred.

Help me out…what’s my caption? 140 characters or less!

We = Art

I haven’t seen these in person yet, since they were just delivered today, but Jarom’s old boss made these AMAZING stylized portraits of us. How unbelievable awesome are they? You can see the ones he did of himself and his wife at their blog.

And don’t forget to come by tomorrow anytime between 3pm and 6pm to see the portraits in person (and to eat cake, of course)!

we. look. great.