THE ECONOMY FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES

Thankfully we're told it is NOT a depression (whew!), and if I recall the government even says that we will get out of this mess by 2010. Sounds great... really. But that's about it. So the government tries to calm people down and tell us this crisis will have a happy ending... have you ever heard the government admit they have no idea how to fix a problem and they're just as clueless as the rest of us? Of course not, how are they supposed to maintain control over a mass population if they admit that we're facing a problem that they can't even fix for us. Actually, when I say "a problem they can't even fix" I'm obviously ignoring the solutions of significantly cutting government spending and getting rid of the Federal Reserve which operates separate from our government yet practically runs our country at this point (but that would just be bad business, wouldn't it?).

Aside from the opinions and theories many people have to end our economic crisis... what does this mean for our fellow college graduates? Well, from one unemployed college graduate who is desperate for work (a clever way of saying "me"), I would say this economic crisis means:

- More time at home with the "rents" (CLEAN YOUR ROOM!!)

- Less employers returning phone calls/e-mails about job inquiries (maybe they lost your number...)

- The increasing probability of landing a job where you have to work with your hands rather than using your $40,000 college education (that at one time seemed like a magic "get a job" card)

- If you're single... the dating scene is really not as fun (but actually more awkward) when you're 23 and still live with your parents

- If you're already dating someone... it's hard for the lack of money and unclear life path to NOT affect the relationship (found this out the hard way... and as a result, I am now dealing with the previous bullet on my list)

- A lot of working for free hoping somebody will appreciate the work you do and decide to pay you (after a while of working for free, the idea of this leading to a 'payday' seems more and more like finding water in the Sahara desert)

- At one time, the artistic ambitions you had that seemed unrealistic to rely on for a living... seems like the best shot at supporting yourself (music, writing, acting... pursuing the dreams that set you apart from the rest now appears to be a better solution than working Maintenance at Shop Rite with people who don't speak English and never finished college)

- You're actually told that you are "overqualified" to perform a job, and they won't hire you because they thought you would get bored too easily (I guess this bullet is more specifically something that happened to me, but you will hear a wide variety of excuses why you won't get hired... the most common being "I'm sorry, but due to this unfortunate economy...")

- Craigslist becomes the permanent home page on your computer (I kid you not)

Anyway, I wish to all of those graduates who find themselves in the same boat as me: "good luck job-hunting" (I truly hate when people say this to me... why do they care?  They already have a job... It's like when you tell someone who's sick "get better", when all you're really thinking is "thank god, I'm not sick").  And mayhaps someday soon we will all find our way out of this "depression"...oops, what have I done...?