I took the ferry across the river to visit my aunt in NJ today. We spent too much money on clothes, ate Chinese food and ice cream (not at the same time, understand), and walked around one of those infamous Jersey strip malls in the sunshine.
And, somewhere in between my egg drop soup and my lunch bowl, my aunt suggested that I should really think about working for one of the magazines within the publishing corp. that gainfully employs her; last night, one of my dear friends told me the saga of her break-up and then make-up with her boyfriend, explaining that the fighting was more or less based on the details of their future marriage; another friend is pretty sure that she'll be engaged within the next two years and just landed a fabulous job (a real job, with benefits and a salary).
Am I really old enough to be having these conversations? I feel ancient some days...especially the days that I spend with my adorable, toddler-age cousins. I pay my bills. I clean my house. I'm in charge of getting myself up and out the door. I'm feeling pretty ready to graduate. But babies and FICA and wrinkles, oh my! Is this normally the vantage point of 20-somethings?
And if it is, how exactly does one go about improving the forecast? Because, right now, I'm soon to be the copy editor of a trashy teen magazine, thanks to my aunt's connections instead of my own abilities, with lots of bridesmaid dresses in her closet and a bunch of dead houseplants (I may claim to be responsible, but I'm awful at remembering to water those things)...
The only logical solution, as far as I can tell, is to hearken back to the third grade and paint my nails Barbie pink. Ignorance sure was bliss.
