Looking Forward

This week, I read an article from Upfront Magazine called "Trying Times". It's about the struggling job market in the U. S. right now, and how it's affecting recent and near-future college graduates. Kacey Herring, a girl who is soon to graduate from NYU, talks about her trouble finding a job in today's industry. The end goal, she says, "is to work in entertainment marketing", but in this economy she says right now "I just need a job." The reason jobs are so hard to find for young people right now is that our economy is still suffering from the Great Recession. While unemployment rates are not as high as they were, there are still many young people out of work.

These young people aren't out of work because of incompetence, or because they're unqualified, in fact, many of them have college degrees. They're out of work because there's simply a lack of jobs. However, a college degree can greatly increase your chance of getting a job. This being said, student can put kids and their families deep into debt. It's a situation where you have to choose your path wisely, and it's not as easy as it should be.

This makes me think/worry about my own future. It saddens me that I might not be able to do what I want to do with a career, and rather have to do something practical and required in this economy. I don't think it's fair how many people are in debt because of student loans. This makes me scared for my own future. I'd like to become a number of things, but are any of them extremely practical or in fields that are easy to find work in? I don't want to give up happiness for practicality.

People should be able to get a job without being in debt to loan companies. According to the Constitution, America is about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Will people be happy when they're living trying to pay of student loans that they took out to get degrees that won't even get them a job? Is it fair that college puts people in this situation? No, I don't think it is, and I'd like to help change that somehow, not just because it's an issue that pertains to me, but because every young person should be able to end school with a life to look forward to.

Forgiveness

In the book Christine Falls by John Banville under the pseudonym Benjamin Black, there are many complicated and confusing relationships at work. Quirke and Malachy Griffin are brothers, and although Quirke was adopted, he's the favored son. However, Malachy or Mal as he's referred to, married the girl that Quirke has been in love with. They're not close, even though they were raised together.

This is sibling rivalry to an extreme. What is the line that has to be crossed that totally obliterates possible forgiveness of a family member? I've heard stories from children of drug addicts forgiving their parents for total negligence. I've never refused to forgive anybody in my life. Why is there such a rift between Mal and Quirke?

The difference between forgiving a negligent parent and forgiving someone who's stolen a girl or a parent's favor, is that they're two different conflicts. One is forgivable because it's the person who gave life to you making a mistake- a huge one, possibly the worst you could make, and if there is forgiveness present, a new relationship can be built out of the ashes of it. Mal has never forgiven Quirke because Quirke stole the admiration of his biological father. Quirke doesn't need Mal's forgiveness because Mal stole the love of his life, and neither of them wants to forgive the other, or wants forgiveness.

Who started this feud? It wasn't Quirke's fault that he was the favored child. However, it made it easier for Mal to marry Sarah when he felt like he was getting back at Quirke by doing it. It's not possible to pinpoint who's fault it was, or to put blame on any one person, but it's like that in every situation.

Have you ever been so mad at someone you had no way to forgive them?