O Captain My Captain

You know those feel good dramas about inner city school teachers overcoming adversity and teaching their students about the subject and some valuable life lessons? Okay, well, I could take a couple cues from those movies, because right now, I'm all dried up. I mean, not literally (although that seems like a stupid thing to say because how could I be dried up literally? Oh wait, now I get it... gross) but needless to say, inspiration is not an endless stream.

Instead, I'm filled with dread about the direction my life is headed and a little unsure of, well, just about most things. But listen to me go on. I know, it's not just me. Hell, I can think of at least 5 other people my age that are in the same boat as me. I would take comfort in that if it weren't for the fact that it's a bad place to be and it's an even worse place to have company, because I feel just as much for them as I do myself. So here goes, here's my attempt at an inspirational speech...

Who are we kidding? We all knew that wasn't going to go anywhere good. It probably would have included some misquoting of some obscure literary figure that I thought would make me look smart, followed by a confession that I only found out about that author thanks to GoodQuotes. org and then we'd all be just as bummed as when you started reading this.

So for your sake and my fear of carpal tunnel, we'll just skip that part. This isn't where I'm going to tell you that I'm the best in the field or that we're all special. I mean, look at the people that are working from my graduating class? Are they good? The sad thing is that they can be, but they don't have to be. A lot of them got lucky. I know this may be the exact opposite that your mommy taught you, but here's the reality of the situation. Being good is a perk, but not a job requirement. If it were then my graduating magna cum laude would mean something in the real world, but I can't even get Starbucks to call me back.

This isn't a speech to depress you or to bore you or to make you feel bad for me or yourself. This is the God's honest truth. Talent's no longer a requirement that all employers are looking for so don't try to get in on talent alone. I can't say I have any more pearls of wisdom for you, but it's safe to say that I'm sufficiently bummed out now. I think this might have been the reason I never made it as an inspirational speaker...