Disappointments, failure and why I keep going

This morning I was talking to my favorite co-worker about life's big disappointments,(yes, we are always rainbows and sunshine in the morning), and the overall ratio of disappointment to triumph as it has occurred in our lives.

The biggest disappointment that I can remember is when I applied for the IRTS (International Radio & Television Society) internship in college. I had big dreams, but hated the city I was in, the restaurant job I worked and the jerk that I was dating. I needed to get out of there. And to a small town girl like me, landing ANYTHING in New York was "making it."

In my mind, that internship would lead to another internship with This American Life immediately following graduation and then that would lead to a successful and lucrative career in Broadcasting, ideally CNN but I would be open-minded about other major news sources. The Mary Tyler Moore theme song played over and over in my mind and I imagined myself standing in the middle of Times Square, tossing my hat in the air promptly upon arrival.

Needless to say, none of that happened. When I received a phone call mid-shift at my restaurant job from the jerk I was dating, saying that the email (they were checking it for me) came and I had not been chosen, I lost it. I regretted even applying and getting my hopes up and I feared this was a signed that I was doomed to small town mediocrity forever. I figured I may as well even quit the upscale restaurant I worked at and put an application in at the Waffle House, just to enhance the level of tragedy. Then, I walked into the walk-in freezer and screamed as loud as I could.

After that, despite my lack of self-confidence, I applied for two more national internships that I also did not get. Shortly afterward, I applied for a local internship at a television station and was hired as a full-time news reporter. Not that it was a super glamorous job, but it was a really great start and I learned a lot.

I took a lot of chances over the past few years. Right now, I'm living in an amazing city that I'm absolutely in love with, with a beautiful girl who I'm absolutely in love with. I'm not rich or famous and I don't have an awesome job (yet), but I'm still putting myself out there and hoping for the best.

After all, whatever it is that you really want, you'll never get it if you don't try, right?

Social Experiment Gone Mean

One of my favorite online "kill time" things to do is read "missed connections" on craigslist and wonder if the people writing them are actually serious.

Instead of posting a "missed connection," I opted for another category that I thought was even more absurd: "strictly platonic." Because really, why would you use CRAIGSLIST to look for friends when you could just strike up conversation at a concert, book store or ANY type of social event?

I tried to opt for something that was slightly true: using almost my real age and saying I just moved to the city; but I added a few embellishments.

Here's what I ended up with:

"So I just moved to New Orleans and am totally loving it, all except I haven't made any friends yet!
Would love to meet some cool girls to go shopping and have coffee with...
No boys please. Well super cute little gay boys would be okay. Love of shopping is a MUST!
Oh, and similar music taste would be cool too. I LOVE Taylor Swift."

Hilarious right? Why would you write back to that person? Well...these girls did. And it only took a matter of hours:

"Hi im a 20 year old blk female... i saw ur add on cl and i responding im also looking to make friends but i've live here my hole life... umm a few things about i have a 2year old son im and ex dancer and i live in new orleans east... sooo if interested and hang out give me a call or txt 504-XXX-XXXX (amanda) OH YEA I HAVE A MYSPACE WITH PICS ON IT... "

(Yes, she gave me her actual phone number)

Hey girl, my name is Brianna .. I sort of just moved down here too been here since Oct.. I would like to meet some gfs too .. Where did you move here from? Well let me know if you wanna talk more.

(That one actually send a photo of herself. I feel the need to add: "with clothes on.")

I moved here in July and am still working on making friends. I'm a 22/f. Where did you move from?

(And that's the one that made me feel bad.)

But then this most recent one made me feel a lot better:

"lol, if this post is sarcastic, it's fucking perfect. right down to the condescension towards gay guys, boring hobbies, and questionable musical taste. also love the writing style. too bad you're probably serious, we'd have been awesome friends.
good luck anyway, got plenty of girls around here like that. "

So what do you think - funny or not?

The types of phone calls we get at work...

"Hi. I thought you could help me. I want to come down there and help rebuilding because I know Bush really didnt do anything to help you guys. Unfortunately all I have is my arms and my legs. I know there are organizations that will pay for me to get down there and give me spending money while i am there. can you help me?"

The Laboratory

This weekend, my girlfriend, our friend Stacey and I got a first hand look at Lafayette, La's most amazing new venue for the creative community.

Picture New Orleans' Launch Pad mixed with Andy Warhol's Factory. The Laboratory is located downtown Lafayette and is a mix of office space for rent (catering towards young, multi-media professionals and web developers), a performance space (which was being used by djs and breakdancers while we were there) a conference room and full kitchen.

I'm really excited to see things like this and Grinder that allow the creative community in Lafayette to come together.

One Week Without a Cell Phone

After reading "The GOOD (and ReadyMade) Guide to Slowing Down," I decided to actually follow through on some of these practices that seem very in line with my goals for 2010.

"Simplify, Simplify" - Henry David Thoreau

The first article I'm going to start with is called "Eliminate Something." It suggests easy things like not using plastic bags, but I already don't do that so I'm going for something a little more challenging: NO CELL PHONE FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK.

There was a point in my life where I felt that this would be the most stressful and anxiety-filled thing that could ever happen to me, but I'm actually looking forward to it. I think it could end up being a really freeing experience.

So, Starting tomorrow (Monday January 25th), I will be without cell phone. Cell phone use will resume on Monday February 1st.

This means finding creative ways to contact people and planning things in advance.

I'll let you know how it goes:)