Sigh.

Feeling a bit like Sisyphus. 

The most notable thing I did this week was think.  Maybe I shouldn't think too much.  In this week's case, more than anything, I feel like a failure.

I've been a college graduate for nearly a year now and I don't feel any closer to my goals now than I was a year ago. 

Feeling a bit like Rob Gordon.  

More importantly to me, I've been vegan for almost one year (January 8th, 2010) and I haven't got even one person to go vegan.  Not one person!  Not my family, not my friends, and not any strangers.

I am hereby claiming responsibility for this year's failures.  I didn't get anyone to go vegan this year because I wasn't confident enough when I talked to people about it, if I was brave enough to talk to them at all.  I didn't want to offend anyone and I didn't want to seem like I was looking down on anyone.  As a result, I have not contributed at all to "the shift of the paradigm" as Gary Francione puts it.  I have also been lazy this year and this the biggest contributor to my unhappiness in the personal and professional sense as well as my lack in vegan conversions.  I need to seize every career opportunity.  I also need to grab every chance to talk to others about veganism because this kind of every day activism is the right thing to do.  Only by practicing every day does a person become an expert and if I could be an expert vegan activist, I would be happy.  Also, I need to make up my mind to be happy.  I need to do all of these things and I will.  

Dear Mr. President Obama,

I understand that our country is facing problems and it is my belief that you are trying you best to fix things.  Regardless of demanding critics, I do not blame you for all of our countries problems.  They are our problems and I think that we should all make contributions to fix them.  It is my hope that we all remain faithful that things will get better, that we think of ways to make improvements, and we all work hard to move towards these practical solutions. 

I am 23-years-old, and like many people age I am experiencing problems finding a job that is worth my college education which I must now pay back.  Also like many people my age, my ideas may go unnoticed but that doesn't mean that my ideas have to go completely unseen.

As a recent college graduate, the only jobs easily available to me are part-time jobs with limited hours, low pay, and zero benefits.  I would like to respectfully suggest that you offer businesses tax incentives to hire more people full-time.  It appears that without such encouragement, businesses hire many compromised people.  As a result, only the businesses' needs are being met and the workers are exploited.  I feel that it is better to hire a few people who can make a living than to hire several struggling people and force them to keep struggling.  I think that many of the problems the country faces could be fixed if more businesses shared my feelings.

Another idea I have is you could require colleges to meet a higher percentage of employment rate in the recently graduated alumni.  I have found that my college degree left me less than prepared for the "real world" and worse than that, my college has been useless in helping me to find a job.  With the right motivation, I believe colleges will work harder to make sure students are prepared as possible to face the work force.  As things are currently, colleges adhere to the "take the money and run" policy.   

I am proud to be part of a generation that brought you to office and I am proud to call you my president.  I am not proud however, to be working in dead-end retail jobs and having to borrow money to pay my bills.  I'm willing to work hard if businesses would give me that chance.  While I am not an expert or an official advisor, I am a hopeful American and I hope you will consider my suggestions.  

Sincerely,
Amy