People who do not work: Or people who have never held a real job. Yes, that's right. I'm talking about professional grad students. People who get paid to go to school. People who have, other than summer jobs, never held a nine-to-five kind of employment. Not that I work 9 to 5... more like 7 to 5 or 3 to midnight. But anyway.

I go with Jay, who also happens to be one of the above, to a dinner party at one of our friend's houses. And she is *our* friend, not just Jay's. However, I don't know everyone who was there and even the ones I do know have similar reactions. I'm sure they don't even realize it, don't intentionally put that tone in their voice. That tone = pity mixed with condescension.

"So, does work still suck? And I hear you've gone back to school... the University of Phoenix...oh, I see. Sooooo, how *is* that?"


First of all, all work sucks at one point. That doesn't mean it sucks every day or that it even sucks most of the time. But anything you *have* to go to whether you want to be doing it or not, sucks at some point or another. Yes, I'm going to school, but for godssakes, don't talk to me like I'm starting kindergarten instead of a Masters program. And I'll tell you how it is: It sucks up most of the "free" time I have. It puts me in with people who clearly had an undergraduate education less rigorous than my own. It pairs me with people who are only doing the program so they can move up on the salary scale--people totally lacking in enthusiasm and occasionally, integrity. BUT, it also puts me a lot closer to the career of my choice than I was just a few months ago. So I'm exhausted and cranky, but I'm doing what I need to do. Just don't be surprised if I don't want to talk about it. OKAY?!?!? OH - and yes, I work at a hotel. And yes, I have a BA from an ivyleague school. Want to ask me why one more time?!?! Because I really never get tired of explaining it to you freaking stuffed academics, really I don't.

Gosh, but I'm hostile lately. Must be hormones. Yeah, that's it.