Did I Just Agree To That?

On Monday I start school again--hooray! Thus, I won't be able to keep working at the jewelry store as I've been doing during my holiday break. However, I decided to ask and see if I could work on weekends. The store is closed Sunday, but since they still haven't hired someone for the job I was doing, I figured maybe I could work Saturdays and possibly Fridays, depending on my school schedule. The owners agreed, and I said I'd come in tomorrow. Then I got that feeling... You know when you agree to do something that you really don't want to do, but you can't say no? I've been in that situation a lot this past week, it seems.

Yes, working Saturdays will be good for me: keep me busy and give me some extra money. But gone is my day of sleeping in and not changing out of my pajamas. When will I find time to crochet now, let alone start that quilt I'm planning to make? Tomorrow will be my 7th day in a row at work.

It's not so bad, though. I've kind of enjoyed working at the jewelry store. Now I just need to find my sister a different job. She's miserable, and it makes me feel terrible. She moved here along with me to have an adventure, to get out of town, and to be more independent. She thought it wouldn't be too hard to find a fun job in a place like New York City, and began applying at her top choices as soon as she arrived. A mentor in her same field met with her frequently to help hone her resume and portfolio. She worked tirelessly on drawings and illustrations to round out her portfolio, and it's really an awesome package. But New York is tough. No doubt hundreds of other animator/illustrators like her are searching for the same jobs.

Finally, in desperation, E. took the first job to be offered her, even though it has nothing to do with art. She figured it would pay the bills, and plans to keep searching. But meanwhile, from what she tells me, its as if she goes to work in a coalmine each day. The owners of the business are crazy and mean. Her co-workers don't speak English, so nobody talks to her. The building is in Brooklyn, away from anything else, so she can't go out on her lunch breaks. The one nice person she works with is quitting at the end of next week. Sometimes she has to grind metal. And the pay is really low. It's horrible! Every day she comes home drained, a lifeless expression in her eyes. Where is my beautiful exuberant, free-spirited sister? Every day I tell her to quit, but I understand how scary it is not to have money. What other option does she have? She's not a quitter, and doesn't want to give up on New York so soon. But it makes me sad to see her drudging her days away.

So, I'm going to Craigslist right now to search for a new job for her.