by D Dupont-Day

Created on: May 27, 2009

I am a reasonably intelligent 54 year old woman who is unable to find a traditional job. I am overqualified, underrepresented, or just too old. None of that really surprises me. What does surprise me, though, are the number of people who are underqualified, overrepresented, young, fresh, dewey eyed, and quite frankly stupid, who have somehow managed to find work.

Consider, if you will, the following true scenario. There are, of course, many other examples I could use to prove my point.

My sister and I went to the movies last Saturday. The marquis announced the following times: 6:10, 7:40, 8:25. We arrived at the theater at 6:35, approached the ticket booth, announced the movie we wanted to see and presented our money. The young man sitting behind the plexi-glass shield accepted the money and, quite matter-of-factly, asked and I quote here the 6:10 show?

I looked at my wrist watch. It was, as I mentioned previously, 6:35. We both looked at him and then at each other in disbelief. He stared at us waiting for an answer to his question. I can only assume that in his world, time travels backwards. Call me radical, but I actually didn't want to see a movie which had begun almost an hour earlier. I answered, No. We want to live on the edge. Let's try the one that hasn't already started. He continued to look at us as though it was we who were nuts.

My sister decided to end this farce and nicely added, No. The 7:40 show. Without batting an eye, he punched a couple buttons, handed us our tickets and offered what I can only assume is the theater's mandatory mantra, Enjoy the show.

So the question becomes: what should I do? Do I lower my standards and become as vapid as this employed individual? Do I apply for public assistance and spend my days sitting on the couch watching Maury and Jerry, until I eventually become similarly 'qualified' to work at the local movie theater? Or do I stand up and say Enough is Enough. I think I'll choose to stand up.

I hear politicians and news pundits saying that the economy is beginning to show signs of improving. Maybe that's true for a certain segment of the population: not me. But I want a job. I need a job. I need to find a way to stop the creditors from calling. Where is my improving economic condition?

There are many more illogical, irrational and irritating examples of minimally qualified people who somehow manage to secure gainful employment. But here I am; a reasonably intelligent 54 year old woman who continues to panic every time I try to figure out how I am going to pay my rent each month.

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