:)

Fall, fall, falling...

Whenever August rolls around, I seem to start itching for autumn, craving the crisp air, firey-colored leaves, and hot chocolate to warm me up in the mornings. I love summer and wish for it the majority of the year - but there comes a point when my bangs are plastered to my forehead that I just want it to end.

Does this not look yummy?

This past week has gotten me super excited for fall. I spent the weekend in lovely Chicago - which actually was not-so-lovely: cold temperatures, pouring rain and overcast skies. But it gave me a chance to whip out my sweaters, my close-toed shoes and prepare for what would eventually be coming in the next month or so.

There's something I love about walking around in fall - I'm sure a lot of it has to do with seeing leaves changing color or the fact that I absolutely love corduroy - and I simply can't wait to explore this season in a new city.

So, while summer may provide the opportunity for endless Corona nights at bars, free transit on super-hot days, and an influx of tourists from far and away, you can give me autumn any day.

Oh... and I should also mention the football - God bless fall and college football season! Go Blue! and happy tailgating!

Blogging the news

For the past two weeks I've been in an "intense" summer journalism program preparing me for my grad studies over the next year. A lot of our discussions have revolved around converging media - the combination of print, broadcast and online journalism - and the need to be fluent in everything to become the next wave of journalists.

A few days ago, one of our professors (a former White House correspondent for USA Today) introduced us to another WH correspondent for the Houston Chronicle. What made Julie Mason different was the fact that she writes a blog for the paper - and can actually claim to be the only blogger with White House press credentials.

Basically, this woman is my hero.

But she also reinforced the idea that journalists are starting to take blogs seriously. If you do a little research, you'll find that serious newspapers are enlisting journalists to cover the news blog-style.

Not all of the blogs are that fabulous - a lot of them just seem to be briefer forms of a news story simply placed on a cleverly titled blog. But I guess what makes them legit is that readers can have access to a reporter to comment and tell them what their stories are missing.

Some of my favorites are The Tribune's "The Swamp" and the NYT's "The Lede." However, if you want a good laugh and want to see a reporter refer to President Bush as "Bushie," please head to Beltway Confidential, where Munson blogs "Washington until it begs for mercy."

Living in a Digital World, 'cause I am a Digital Girl...

Today's Chicago Tribune had an interesting piece on presidential candidate Ron Paul and his popularity on the 'net.

The piece touches on the impact the Internet is having on presidential candidates - and hints on the impact it could have in future elections.

With the way elections are continuing to move, it will be interesting to see what will become the "Next Facebook" or "MySpace" in the 2012 election. With the CNN/YouTube debates, we saw everyday citizens asking the questions they wanted answers to - for once we didn't have to hear endless talking points about the War in Iraq, but could get honest answers in a more relaxed setting. Were those debates perfect? Of course not - but it's certainly better than listening to someone asking questions relating to their own - or their network's - agenda.

So what will be the next step in the presidential campaign? Hillary's people had supporters (and even non-supporters) send in YouTube videos of theme songs for the former First Lady. Soon will candidates air commercials created by their supporters on laptops and macs in the comfort of their homes?

For someone like Ron Paul, support on the Web is a huge step. Sure, others have supported candidates like Ralph Nader or Ross Perot - but, for once, Paul has stepped over the crucial line and won a tiny contingent of voters willing to work for him and what he stands for - in ways unlike the big candidates (such as Mitt Romney or John McCain).

So while he sports what the Tribune calls an "unimpressive" 2 percent ranking in the polls, he's certainly the candidate who has best put Internet support to use.

Yours is a tonic and mine is a gin...

Did anyone else see the Today Show this morning?

Maybe I was tired from the semi-all-nighter I pulled writing a news feature for my journalism course, but I swear Al Roker had to have been drinking during the segment they shot with the stars of the new film Superbad.

Unfortunately there are no videos of it on YouTube and NBC's version doesn't seem nearly as strange as is did on TV this morning... although you do see Al nearly take himself out on a pole.

Check it out here: http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=86ef9275-6566-4829-9e15-710b9af6de28&f=00&fg=

Hammer Time

I'm one who will sing the accolades of city life - easy access to public transportation, no need for a car, living in close proximity to bars, restaurants, jobs and all the normal hustle and bustle - yet, there are times when I ache for the easiness of life outside the city. This is perhaps most notably evidenced when you blow a fuse and need to find a hardware store within the city limits and close to public transportation. There aren't many times when I long for a car - but this, along with grocery shopping, is one of the few times I wish I could just hop into my Escape and ride into the sunset.

Perhaps what is most frustrating is when you discover a city gem - a full-service hardware store crammed into a narrow store front - only to find out their doors will be closing in a matter of months. That's what happened when my roommate found me Candey's Hardware close to Farragut North and right on my commute home from work.

When I wandered into Candey's, someone was there and willing to help me find the fuse I needed to replace my blown one (it was pretty obvious I was clueless). And while I was there, I got some spare keys made in a matter of seconds for a pretty low fee. Quick service and cheap costs - I thought I was in love (well, as much in love as a girl could be with a hardware store). It's safe to say that I was more than saddened when I read that their doors would be closing at the end of the summer.

Why is it that little stores like this - ones that focus on the family-owned and -operated feel, providing great customer service and have existed forever - can no longer make it in today's market? My economically-minded roommate would complain that it's the rise in minimum wage that harms these businesses, but I think there has to be more to it than that. There's obviously a need for stores like this by consumers like me who rely on businesses within the city because I don't have access to a car. Unfortunately, things like this happen all too often.

So, until I find another option to replace Candey's, I'll be praying that nothing else breaks in our Capitol Hill apartment.

My kind of town...

As I'm sitting here on my kitchen floor listening to the outdoor metropolitan noises, trying not to type too loud so I won't wake my mom, dad and cousin sleeping in the other room, I'm getting rather emotional. I remember this time last year I was excited to begin the "next big chapter" of my life in Chicago... Somehow, although it's only been a year, I feel a little older, not much wiser and a little more cynical.

The year I've spent in Chicago can only really be described as a roller coaster ride. I entered thinking I could settle for a PR job - only to find that my first job experience was horrendous and did little to help me learn the field. So, after a several-months long search, I found something else I thought would be better. And it wasn't.

Living here has been both wonderful and trying. Despite living n a city filled with diverse, talented, wonderful people, finding my own niche was difficult. I cherished the few friends I had here, but longed for relationships of substance (Don't fret KA - I will miss you terribly!).

Now that I'm moving yet again to start another adventure I put off for a year... I'm finding it more difficult than I thought it would be to leave a city I felt overwhelmed by constantly. I suppose that is because I can feel some satisfaction in knowing that I did accomplish something - I survived my first year out of college, working in a job (no matter how awful) somehow related to my degree, and made my own home in a big city miles away from my parents house - in today's age, some college graduates can't claim those facts.

So, Goodbye Chicago - you gave me a good year. A year of your best winter weather, a sweltering summer, too many cranberry and vodkas at Clark Street bars, some of the most heinous waits for the redline El... butabove all, you gave me the confidence I needed to move on.

I thank you for that.

Be it ever so humble

Oh, cute little two bedroom, two bath, plus den (!), affordable Capitol Hill townhouse apartment. How I love thee.

There are no words to express quite what I feel for you - I have yet to meet you, but I know that we were meant to be. I only hope your close-lipped owner with the world's best poker face will give you to us.

I admire your brightly painted walls, petite backyard, fireplace that we will fill with candles because we're girls and probably couldn't start a fire, your in-unit laundry machines and your included water and satellite fees. To me, you are perfect.

I have imagined my furniture housed against your walls, my dishes placed in your cabinets, my photos sitting on your shelves and candle-lit evenings by the fireplace (again - probably not a fire for fear of burning down said beautifully-painted walls).

So, please say that my credit score is high enough and let us know soon if your owner is willing to lease to us - the time we're currently apart is torture.

Until the time comes when we can finally be together, please stay away from anything that's creepy or crawly, beef-up your insulation and maybe clean up your bathroom.

Perhaps I may be a little too hopeful, but I can only hope that you feel the same way.

Yours truly,

Jodi

So, tell me, what do you consider to be your biggest weakness?

I've applied for many jobs and internships in my life - some of which have actually culminated into an interview and even fewer into a job offer. I've read so many job descriptions that have made me exclaim, "This is PERFECT for me!" only to never hear anything from the company. So many times I wish I could write a cover letter that truly expresses how I feel and how frustrating it is to continually face outward rejection from jobs that would ideally suit me. I decided that, if given the opportunity, I would submit the cover letter below to truly explain why I wanted a specific job. Perhaps I should actually send it in - they say you should make yourself memorable, right?
____________________________

Dear ________:

I've tried many times to adequately express just how much I would like to become the _______ at your company, ________. However, it seems that my many efforts have never actually brought a job to fruition, so I thought I would try to explain through different means just why I would be an ideal candidate for this position.

Basically, I love to write. I love politics. I love people. I love to write about politics. I love to write about people. I love to write about people in politics. The position requires someone to write affectively, succinctly and accurately. I do not know how I could better express my abilities to work for your company than through those short sentences I presented to you
above.

Sure, I could go into my work history, but it's probable you are already turned off by my public relations background. To be honest, so am I. I regret entering this field and wish you would hire me so we could both forget (and forgive) my past transgressions.

I could also tell you about my ability to lead others and work well on a team, but chances are you probably could care less since I worked for a small, weekly paper at a college you've probably only heard of through a friend of a friend of a friend.

It is important in journalism to be truthful, accurate, and pointed. I hope these three very short paragraphs proved to you that I possess those talents.

Enthusiastically,

Jodi, the Unemployed Writer

At the old, ball game...

As spring rolls around and Wrigleyville becomes crowded with out-of-town visitors and Chicagoans wearing red, white and blue, and sporting baseball gloves, I find myself wishing I had the dedication of a Cubs fan. The team has a less than stellar record and a small field, yet people from all over Chicago (well, it's probably safe to say not from the South Side) clamber to Addison Street to suffer through rain, snow and heat to watch their beloved Cubbies play (and most likely lose) another game.

According to legend, the Cubs' perpetually bad seasons are due to a curse that involves an annoyed tavern owner and his goat. It's obviously not a lack of support that causes the Cubs to do so poorly - so, I'm beginning to think this curse just might be true.

It seems as though Cubs fans have a perpetual optimism about their team. They could be facing imminent defeat in the bottom of the ninth inning, and still Wrigley Field and the rooftops of apartment complexes overlooking the field will be filled to capacity. Cubs fans wait outside in the freezing cold before the season even starts just for a chance to get a few season tickets - probably not even in seats worth the wait. Yet, like the devoted fans they are, they take the red line religiously to this northern neighborhood to feast on overpriced hotdogs, slightly warm beer and sit on rickety old chairs that have been around since the curse was initiated.

It's suffice to say that Cubs fans are a rare breed - they know the agony of defeat, yet still have complete faith in their team. So often we let defeat overcome us - we give up and simply believe that something can't be accomplished because of what often is only a minor setback. Perhaps if we took a little advice from the example Cub fans set (they are winning the pennant this year, right?), we can better achieve the goals we set for ourselves. And if not, there's always next season... right?

An ode to Google maps

I inherited many wonderful traits from my mom (quite a wonderful woman, I might add), but luckily one of them wasn't her sense of direction. She's known for getting us lost more than a time or two on the family camping trips we used to take when we were younger - so much to the point that my brother started navigating the map at a very early age. I was reminded again of this last week when she came to visit me over her spring break. After thoroughly explaining which stop she should get off at on the El and which direction she should head to meet me at my building downtown for lunch, I got a call about 10 minutes before we were supposed to meet. She explained which intersection she was at and wondered if she was heading in the right direction. I couldn't help but laugh when I realized that my mom - who has visited this city more times than I can count - had walked west instead of east.

Having lived in a few big cities, I've learned that you need to know your way around for a few key reasons:

• Native city dwellers have very little patience. If you're slow or act like you're lost, you're automatically branded as a tourist.
• One wrong turn can land you in a scary neighborhood.
• Having a general sense of what's around you impresses your non-native friends.
• It just makes life a whole hell of a lot easier.

So, even though I tend to learn cities fairly quickly by just walking, I've come to depend on Google maps. Although not always accurate, this little feature has saved my life on more than one occasion - and has helped me find an ever elusive Starbucks (who would have ever thought you wouldn't be able to find one close to your apartment?).

Now that I'm searching for an apartment in a city quite a few miles away from me, I've come to depend on these maps even more. In a city like Washington, D.C., knowing your streets is crucial - particularly because of one of the reasons I listed above. Some streets are meant to be avoided - and Google lets you know whether you're too close to a sketchy neighborhood - a nice little tidbit that saves you from wasting time looking at an apartment in a neighborhood you would never walk in alone. In daylight.

I often wish I could tap some people on the shoulder and offer this key advice to finding your way around the city. I like to think that I have a little more patience than most, but nothing ruins your day more than when you miss your train because someone stopped right in front of you because they weren't sure whether they should turn right or left at the intersection.

In general, Google maps are a great resource for acquainting you with the city. And, like I mentioned before, can really impress your out-of-state friends.

Bringing creativity to the cube

One of the things I love about working in public relations is the creative working environment. Not only does this produce some amazing interior decorating in the office, but it also allows some leeway for more inspired dressing.

I'm not exactly adventurous in my clothing choices - I love the look of freshly ironed black pants with the simplicity of a solid-color shirt and a pair of ballet flats. Like I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of the old standbys and don't often venture outside that realm.

However, now that I've been working in a fairly large firm (completely unconnected to this blog - I work in corporate PR, which means I have little say on the consumer end) with an abundance of snazzy dressers, I've found that my wardrobe has expanded to include some items I probably wouldn't have dared to wear before. This isn't to say that it's work inappropriate - just a little trendier than my budget normally allows. I'm not ashamed to admit that I purchase most of trendier pieces from Target or Old Navy - I'm not all about splurging on an item that will be out of date before I've gotten a chance to wear it for a second time. So, after some of my coworkers provided some great inspiration for some accesories and great versatile pieces, my wardrobe has a few more exciting things in it.

For example:

This babydoll dress from Target is more work-appropriate than some of the tank-top versions. I'm not in any way, shape or form comfortable wearing this as a dress at work (or in general), but paired with a crisp pair of fitted khakis or some timeless capri-length pants or - if you look good in them - some of those footless tights, this dress adds a little sophistication to this popular trend. And for $18, it's a much more afforable option.

I love classic button-down shirts. Nothing makes you look like you know what you're doing more than a crisp, freshly ironed shirt. Yet, I find that they can be a little boring after a while. Old Navy offers an alternative to this old standby - minus the buttons - for only $18. I've hesitated buying shirts like this before because I feared they would make me look pregnant - fortunately, this style does no such thing.

Gap also offers a fresh take on the classic white shirt - Capitol Hill Barbie offers her perspective on the new designer collection.

So, while this is only a simple take on some of the trends (from my own closest, nonetheless!) I've been tempted to try, it just goes to show that you don't have to break the bank to explore some new creative threads.

Oh, this old thing?

Having friends all around the country definitely has its disadvantages. When your closest college friends live in Malibu, Kansas City, Seattle, Wilmington, Orlando and Washington, D.C. (just to name a few), it makes it difficult to keep in touch on a regular basis. (Is there such a thing as a cheap flight to L.A.?)

Luckily for me, a group of us keep up to date on each others lives through regular e-mail conversations and - despite a complete lack of funds - an occasional visit when our budgets allow. For me, this is the quickest way to get a "new" wardrobe without actually having to spend any money.

I tend to get in ruts where I turn to the same old standby outfits when I only have five minutes before I need to be out the door. So, even if I do get something cute and new, I either don't spend the time "developing" the outfit (figuring out what it looks best with, etc.) or wear it so often within the first month of getting it that it loses its charm. Despite this, I find myself excited to bring these items on trips because I'll finally get a chance to show them off in a brand new environment with a whole new audience.

As I'm getting ready to travel to Washington, D.C., to visit my closest and most trusted friend Cindy, I can't help but get excited about all of the fun new things I have to show her. Even though we talk everyday, there are just certain things you can't describe over the phone, in an e-mail or through a text message. Clothes happen to be one of them. Because I live on my own, I don't really have anyone to comment on my outfits in the morning, so I can't wait to gain her approval on some of my favorite things to wear that she hasn't seen yet.

So, while Cindy and I have a lot of catching up and apartment shopping to do for my latest adventure, perhaps some of the most fun we'll have is comparing the fun new things we've found in our vibrant cities.

Celebreality

I have always thought that I wouldn't be the type of person to get necessarily out of control if ever I were in the presence of someone of celebrity. Mostly because my idea of celebrity isn't the same as many others (I get chills thinking about meeting John Dingell, for goodness sake - but Brad Pitt? No thanks.) Yet, when I was in the presence of Mark Steyn today, I felt like a 12-year-old girl with a school yard crush.

Normally neo-conservatives don't get me all hot and bothered, but after I met him at an annual dinner my alma mater hosts in Washington, D.C., I couldn't help but admire the audacity he had to criticize and poke fun at certain situations - as Chris Patten, the European Union Commissioner for External Affairs, wrote, "It's wonderful to find a Canadian warmonger, isn't it?" Plus, any man who writes on a regular basis for The Atlantic Monthly automatically moves to the top of the "Totally Date-able" list (if only he weren't already married with three children).

So, now that my job requires me to sit through one of the most boring trials in the history of the judicial system at least once a week, I find work somewhat more intolerable than it was before (but that's a whole other post - believe me). However, I had a moment of delight two weeks ago when I finally managed to score a seat in the main courtoom rather than the media spillover room - to find a perfectly rugged looking Mark Steyn sitting on the bench across the aisle from me (complete with suit jacket and pocket square - sigh).

At first, I was nonchalant, not completely sure it was him. Then I pulled out my copy of The Atlantic Monthly (seriously - I don't leave home without it!), reread his March obit and - wait for it - swooned. So, today, after texting my closest friend about my second close encounter with Steyn, she told me to introduce myself. But I realized I wasn't keeping my cool like I thought I would - I was too nervous to even say "Hello."

And then I realized that I was a complete lush when we rode the elevator ALONE together and I couldn't even bring myself to tell him I admired his work.

After voicing my frustration about my lack of confidence to my friend, she suggested I try later. Unfortunately, I'm assuming Steyn had a deadline to make as he left before the final witness finished for the day.

This whole lesson reminded me just how important it is to network with those people you respect in your line of work. Who knows what could have come from me re-introducing myself? Probably not a job offer (my new dream at the moment) - but perhaps the ability to meet others through him, or through the story of how I met him.

So while my sense of celebrity isn't the same as others my age, I find I still have a reaction that causes me to be a little irrational. So, perhaps I will finally gain the courage to introduce myself when I'm in court next - and if not, he still provides a little entertainment for the brain-numbing testimonies I have to sit through. At least it's something!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

I was going to write how exciting it was for spring to finally be upon us, but as I drove through a snowstorm in Indiana on my way back to Michigan last night and suffered through another one while tooling around Toledo with my mom today, I realized that spring wasn't quite here yet. So disappointing.

Yet, as I walked through the mall today on a shopping trip I probably shouldn't have been on, I couldn't help but notice that it seems the seasons are all just relative in our minds. I saw young girls with their jeans rolled up to capri length, girls sporting colors I haven't seen since August, and, yes, even some people wearing flip-flops. It's almost as though spring doesn't arrive when temperatures finally hit sixty degrees, but rather when we want it to.

I've had my own bouts of wishful thinking - wearing a cute, spring denim dress paired with a shear cardigan when temperatures in Chicago hit 70 in mid-March, relegating my opaque tights to the back of my sock drawer not to be worn again til October, and hiding my snow/walking boots behind several pairs of flip-flops, hoping that will keep them from coming out again til December. In my mind, it's spring. And it appears from a few others I've seen, it's spring for them too.

Eventually, I think people will realize that flip-flops aren't appropriate in 20 degree weather even though it is April. But, for right now, it's a nice attempt to survive the disgusting weather that is upon us through a few little guilty pleasures (Like how I'm wearing bright yellow right now in order to brighten the mood).

For those of you enjoying cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., and warm weather to the south - consider me jealous!

A little common courtesy please.

I've been absent for a little while, but I finally found something worth writing about...

I've never been quite up on my etiquette - I know that saying "please" and "thank you" is absolutely necessary to everyday living. I know that if you're riding on the El and a pregnant woman, elderly man or otherwise handicapped person enters the train and no seats are available, you should gladly give up yours. Even with my limited amount of breeding, I know that there are certain things we must do in order to act like civilized human beings.

Yet, I've noticed of late that there are certain situations where people lose all sense of common courtesy. Especially men.

During the "rush hour" period for the El, most people lose all sense of awareness of the people around them. No longer do men let women go first, kindly hold the El door, or get up from their seats for a woman - rather, they're the ones pushing past you to get first dibs on the "prime" spot on the train (usually by the doors so you can lean against the glass partitions) or to get to a seat. Also worth noting is that I have given my seat up more times for someone who has needed it more than men I have traveled with on the train. I can't be completely biased against men because several have offered me seats and I have refused - but, overall, I have not been impressed.

Another frustration - I work on the 64th floor of the second tallest building in Chicago . The wait for the elevators is especially excruciating - particularly during the morning "rush hour" period I mentioned above. You often wait five minutes or more for an elevator to come - by which point quite a large crowd has gathered. Again, no one has common courtesy to allow women to board first - or the people who have been waiting there the longest. I've waited for several elevators to come and go before finally boarding because people merely kept rushing before me to get on, filling it to capacity. I understand the need to get to work - but that's no excuse to leave your manners at home.

Generally speaking, I believe we've all become a little self-absorbed. We block off communication from others by sporting ear plugs and i-Pods during our entire commute to and from work. We're in such a rush to get to and from places, we often forget to appreciate the little things in our everyday lives. I also think we tend to lose the capacity to appreciate the people around us and the need to show a little common respect in some of the easiest ways available.

Perhaps if we just took a step back to examine how we interact with those people we haven't yet met, we'll all be a little more aware of our everyday manners - with the hope that they might improve in even the slightest little bit.

Outwitting the cold

I had a thought as I was standing on the platform for the L on Monday, shivering in places I didn't think could shiver. The cold weather puts a damper on most people's moods. Not only had the Bears lost the day before, but the train we were waiting for on the red line took 30 minutes to arrive. By the time I got on my train, the only appendage I could really feel was my thumb on my left hand - and just barely.

After I had thawed out enough to think clearly, I looked around at the people on the train with me. What I saw was almost as depressing as the lunch I had made for the day. It's not that people were sad physically - they looked sad because of the coats they were wearing. Let's face it - winter is drab, drab, drab in the Midwest.

It seems people spend more time being "sensible" by purchasing winter coats that are sturdy rather than fashionable. It seems like black, beige, army green and dreary navy blue are the it colors for winter. It makes sense because who wants to ruin a gorgeous cream colored coat in a gross Midwest winter? Don't get me wrong - there are some fabulous coats out there. They just lack character. I can only take so many black coats paired with a cream colored scarf.

The other day at work, I spotted a colleague with an amazing blue coat. It wasn't a dark blue or a baby blue... but it was a rich color. She looked fabulous. I've never thought red coats were all that practical or unique, but I spotted a girl on the train with one - and it looked good with what she was wearing (she was dressed down a bit with a green hoodie underneath which contrasted perfectly with the red of the coat).

So, luckily there are a few people in the city who dare to wear something a little different. At least they won't be depressed the next time the CTA takes a billion years to actually come.

A pretty meaningless post

Given that I generally have quite a bit of time to think about and ponder things, I often find that it is the simple things in life that generally give me the most pleasure and comfort.

I've notcied of late that I do silly things and make habits of others - almost to the point where it's ritual.

With the colder weather, I get a rush stepping on little scraps of ice on the ground - merely because of the satisfying "crunch" they make underfoot. That is perhaps my favorite part of snow - something I haven't really liked since I started driving.

I'll notice too when ads pop up on certain Web sites where you have to "beat the other guy" at something to win five free ring tones or some other ridiculous prize that requires you sign over half of your personal information, that I can't resist in participating. Maybe I'm easily amused or just plain bored - either way, it's a sick habit. I don't even need those ring tones!

Perhaps living alone has brought out the weird quirks in me. I do something every night when I get home that I never did before. I have to pull back the shower curtain and my bathroom to assure that no one is there to pop out at me. I haven't yet figured out what I would do if someone were actually there. Screaming is a good bet...

I suppose before I've always had some weird traits - perhaps these are just more noticable to me now that I live on my own and have to entertain myself the majority of the time. Oh well - I suppose it's all a part of figuring out what makes us happy to sustain ourselves. Whatever the reason you can bet that I can't wait for the next batch of snow to crunch through - even if it does mean temperatures in the negatives!

Purposely purposeful...

As I was walking (meandering mostly) to get to my train after work today, I was struck by a man, probably in his mid- to late-twenties. I wasn't struck for the usual reasons, although it is worth noting that he was dressed impeccably well, but rather because he was in such a hurry to get somewhere. Balancing some books and papers in his left hand and dangling a soft drink in his right, he moved quicker than most people on this cold night.

But perhaps what made me think the most was that he looked like he had a purpose... he was hurrying to get somewhere - someone, maybe - and nothing was going to stop him.

I think at one point in my life I used to be like that - everything I did was towards a greater purpose, something worth striving for.

Lately I haven't felt much of a purpose. More of a standstill. It makes me sad to think about. At one point, I was traveling through life, hanging on to things of importance. Somewhere along the way I let a brick wall stop me.

The question is - how do I climb that wall now?

Frozen raindrops keep falling on my head...

It snowed on my way home from work today.

And I just had to wonder... wouldn't it be nice to just be so light and airy, without a care in the world?

Save a penny for a rainy day...

At the ripe old age of 14, I had far too many dreams I hoped to fulfill, a naïveté about how I was going to fulfill them, and a sense that I could do anything I set my mind to. That was, after all, what they taught us throughout my childhood, right?

Now, when I spend my days in my corner cubicle, staring at walls that serve as both a sound barrier and a cork board, I can't help but wonder what the hell happened to my dreams.

Somewhere along the way, I lost track of what I had hoped to become. I used to dream about creating layouts and writing articles for a big magazine... but the closest I get to that is monitoring the media for some obscure company.

Why is it that we're forced to compromise the goals we set for ourselves? I never dreamed of being a PR professional - I barely knew what that entailed eight months ago. The fact is, like so many of my peers, I had to settle because the industry today doesn't allow for us to reach our goals. Jobs have become far too specialized, competition has gotten out of control, and we're not given a chance to dream anymore. Perhaps that's what some real world experiences entail... but not for me. I refuse.

So, in an effort to get back on track, I'm re-examining some things a bit and taking some "me" time to figure out how to accomplish those goals I set for myself before I knew what billable hours were. Perhaps it's a childish excursion. Perhaps I should just learn to settle. But what's the fun in that?