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Day’s Verse:
Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?
Mark 15:34
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Yesterday Ian and I went to a job fair held at WPI. We dressed up and laser-printed our resumes. We went and shook hands for an hour. I gave out seven resumes to seven companies I would really rather not work for. Half of the companies there were defense contractors – a very secure group of companies right now, but basically the far end of the spectrum from what I want to do. I don’t know if I could morally work for an organization whose job was to design killing machines for a government whose policies I don’t particularly support. Even so, I gave several of them my resume because they always need technical writers. Ian, on the other hand, feels no compunctions about working for defense contractors; and for their part, defense contractors seem to eagerly snap up electrical engineers with a focus in communications. It seems we won’t go hungry after graduation, even if I’ll be ashamed of where our living comes from.
All of the companies who came were from the Northeast. I wish somebody had told me – or that I had realized – that going to a school in New England would mean that all the job opportunities are in New England too. I don’t like New England and I don’t want to live here, but it seems inevitable that Ian will get a job with Raytheon or somebody like that and we will have to stay here. Now a long future of horrible summers and freezing winters stretches before me, years in which we’ll see our families maybe once. It’s very depressing to realize that I have almost no hope of living and working in Washington or Oregon, or even in the same time zone as my family.
That’s frustrating, but you’ve still got most of the year. Plus, even if you two do get a job there to start, that doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck there forever.
Your background makes me hungry.
It’s true. Thankfully nothing’s totally permanent in the job world when you start out.
Do you like the background? Should I keep it for a while?
I wouldn’t assume that you’re going to be stuck in New England. I’m sad that you hate it so much, but I thought your plan was probably that once you and Ian were done with school you would go back to the West Coast. You never have to live somewhere you really don’t want to live. There are always options!
p.s. I do want to get together, honest. When I saw you today I felt like you were mad at me. This weekend Brandt and Todd had visited, which was the plan awhile back, and I was tied up until Sunday night. This weekend I’m going to go home I think, but I do want to see you sometime, even if it’s having you and Ian over for dinner.
Nothing is impossible w/ God. Tell Him the desires of your heart and then follow where He leads. That may not get you back to Washington as quickly as you want, but it’ll be in His will which is really the best place to be (and hopefully that WILL lead you back here soon!)