Becoming a Beautician Vol. 2

vol 2

05.01.04 03:39 pm



So. Dad is in Spokane, I'm a sophmore at UW, still studying Comparative religion and Arabic (enter Mahdis and Sarah, and Alex,)living in one of those old creaky houses in the U District that you think you got a great deal on until you realize youre but blocks from the Ave, and you have to live with at least four other people; its a nightmare. Youve got your solid three, but there's always someone moving out. Ask me about Ms. WorstRoomate of 1996, Jackie Adams, someday: bussing it alone to Mr Paddywack's on the weekends, sleeping on wadded up clothes in a borrowed sleeping bag, sitting in MY living room, shades drawn smoking Newports, watching Days. It was archetypal. Anyway, I was sure at this point that my career in diplomacy and international relations, (which I was intensively preparing for by working at Toys in Babeland, that should have tipped me off,) would bring me the personal satisfaction of doing some real good as well as using my degree and my natural charisma to their best ends, and providing me with the fame and media coverage that I've always felt I deserved. This, I believed would insure me to never end up wasting my talents. Several holes in that thinking revealed themselves ( I wanted to say quickly revealed themselves but in truth, it took years.) I graduated, left the world of theoretical political and social analysis and the glorification of NGO and Non Profit work and entered the reality of a system so overwhelmed by beurocracy and workload that it is rendered, at worst ineffective and self congratulatory and at best well intentioned, underfunded and fantastically overworked. Not to mention that I began to feel that working in politics was like being a used car salesman. I didn't feel like there was any thing that my throwing myself on the smoking pyre of American Mid-East relations would do to make matters better (I know, I know, one person CAN make a difference, just look at Mahdis.) And this was even before the fever pitched terrorism madness that has overtaken us post 911. I was flummoxed. I chose social justice here at home on the think globally, act locally principle. I know that if change is possible, we are dependent on kids to want to live, and live well, and know what living well really is. I worked for Planned Parenthood in their education/oregnancy prevention department for three plus years. Honestly for the most part it was fantastic. Wouldnt trade my years at Madison and Denny Middle Schools or with the teen parent panel for anything, even at its most shatteringly sad moments. While the PP administration served to sour me forever on non profit, the work with the kids bolstered my confidence that we have to work with our children, our families and equal access (LINGO ALERT!)to understanding the priorities of a good life (nutrition and rest, excercise, time together, reading, lust for intellectual pursuit and the arts, dance and culture, personal style, personal activism, self esteem and cultural history, environmental appreciation, community representation, ) before we can ever project a healthy political image.
Good grief, this sounds like some kind of manifesto.
Moving on. Beauty school. Ive been studying West Afican dance for three years now. I want to dance for the rest of my life (andithinkeveryoneelseshouldtoo) its provided me with discipline, spiritual fulfillment,enhanced mind body connection, rhythm, artistic identity, a strong immune system and a great ass! As we all know, there is no room for a dancer at really almost any job. I got fired from the Dahlia lounge for getting my one shift a week covered all the time. It was embarrasing. I got fired from bussing tables. But at the same time, I was a pain in the ass. I would have fired me too. Who needs a diva busser for chrissakes.
I need a job, I thought to myself, that satisfies some specific requirements. Please find them listed as follows:
Wherein I can make enough money to work part time and set hours so I can still dance and take time for performances. One that allows me to take on youth mentees or some such development program. I've come to believe that to model sucessful living to youth will be far more effective than telling them how important it is while I work what should be full time job in 12 hours week (budget constraints, you understand,)and default on my phone bill. My job has to have room for travel; the constant harping on the need to get out of Seattle, and subsequently not leaving, has also been a theme for years. It has got to stop. I have to be able to make enough money to start helping my family instead of being a leechy liability and saving for (god forbid) a time when I cant work. And, above all it has to be fun and varied. Nothing I know how to do at this point forms the basis of a career that satisfies all these requirements. Enter vocational training. I know few people who have been able to convince themselves that it makes sense to go to Grad school on the basis of career development, we've come a long way baby. Anyone who thinks theyre just a masters degree in English away from the job of their dreams is most likely fooling themselves. Everyone I know who has gone back to school is in Law shkool or med school. And those are really just glorified Vocational Schools anyway, when you think about it. Shit, we can read Kant and Berger on our own, why the paperwork? My BA is no more than shelf liner and some great good ol' days style stories at this point anyway. Sorry Graham, Im sure Columbia is really great though! ;)
On top of all that, I began to realize that at 27, I had never gotten the fame and media coverage I set out for. I tried (in typical Seattle fashion) to go easy on myself, not to judge my decisions harshly and to convince myself that I didnt really want it in the first place, that it was a sham. Well, a sham it may be but, I WANT A PEICE OF THE SHAM!! So, after months of miserable, overeducated self criticism and judgement, months of shaming myself out of it and vacillating between feeling it was a great idea and then feeling it was tantamount to moving to Spokane and selling real estate w/ a PhD in English Literature, I decided: I DONT CARE!! Shut up already you wishy-washy heifer and do something!
I did it, thank you Sarah. I quit PPWW, I got a weekend job in the University Village Management office (think computer access and complete benefits package,) and a temp nanny job for six months (loved it)and proceeded to get myself enrolled at Seattle Technical Institute Cosmetology Program. Let the good times roll. Until next time.
Same bat time same bat channel.
BGKSSES
xoxoVivi