The job hunt is in full swing and for me that always brings the emotional ups and downs. Searching is tiring, waiting for people to respond can be stressful, getting an interview makes you sweat, and at the actual interview there's a good chance (if you're me) you're going to say something to mess the whole thing up.
Just yesterday I had two job search-related experiences. First I went to a temp agency in the morning and filled out a profile with them. I took a typing test (88, by the way and thank you) and discussed what jobs I did and didn't want. I'll be honest, I'm not holding my breath for anything but what the hell? I didn't pay for these services so no harm, no foul. Later that day I went to a job fair with my roommate. She managed to get herself a part-time evening job; I already have one that I like. I wanted to replace my day job, but this fair was just for events taking place at night time. So I just fumbled my way through an interview for a position I knew I wouldn't take. However I did get to respond to the questions the way I'd always wanted to. When asked "is there anything you struggle with?" I responded "No...I'm flawless."
So after a lukewarm/unsuccessful day of hunting (and wearing a tie and chafing my neck with dress shirts) I decided to relax the rest of the evening and go to a comedy open mic that night. And then without warning, like all bad news, I heard that Robin Williams had died. Now I won't make this one giant blog about his legacy and all the work he's done, nor about the struggles he was dealing with in his personal life (I'm sure you can find those blogs if you so desire).
Now last night after hearing the news I went to the comedy open mic. It went how it usually goes: I ended up being dead last and the rest of the comics I'd sat through had all gone home, leaving me to shout my set at a crowd of two. It's about as un-Robin Williams as you can get. But, hey...I made those two people laugh. A small thing, sure, but it made me feel better and I had some genuine compliments. So I'm going to keep doing it and trucking through, no matter how many nights I go last or how small the crowd is.
I guess my point of this blog (besides just getting this crap off my mind) is that the world can be an ugly place, for those of you who weren't already aware. It can be things like finding a job or it can be tragedies like the riots unfolding in Ferguson, Missouri. Being the pessimist I am I tend to dwell on negativity and sometimes it takes its toll. But I know I have to grasp at the good things, like making people laugh or just seeing a good movie, to slowly but surely shift my mood into a better one.
I feel I need to insert a sort of disclaimer here and just say that I'm not casually writing off depression. I'm aware it's not as simple as "think happy thoughts and you'll feel better". I'm just saying this as someone who doesn't have depression but feels beaten down by life at times, this is what I do to cope. If you have depression you should seek professional help and do what they tell you to do.
So I'm going to go into the back half of this week with a (comparatively) positive attitude (even though today I had about two hours where I thought I might actually get fired, but that's another over-dramatic story for another over-dramatic time). I encourage everyone else to have a good week, and if you need cheering up pop in your favorite Robin Williams flick. Not just in memory of him, but because I believe there is something for everyone amongst his work. My personal fave is Mrs. Doubtfire and I'm not ashamed. My dad loves RV and he's not ashamed. Just do something to make yourself laugh. It sounds simple, but it helps.
