When Life Gets in the Way of Pop Culture (aka the opposite of Jersey Shore)

Ok, so I know that I haven't really posted on here for a while. And by a while I mean almost exactly 4 months. I'm sorry, I've just been busy trying to start the so-called rest of my life.

I think that one of the reasons why Ryan and I haven't been posting as much is that both of us expected this blog to be a light-hearted take on college life. It would mainly focus on sports, TV shows, movies, music, and pop culture in general. However, I think this might have been a mistake in retrospect. For one, it is nearly impossible to keep up a happy appearance all the time. After all, are we back in Mad Men times? No. Instead of repressing our feelings so that they "make us cheat on our wives" and "make us drink copious amounts of alcohol", we let it all air out. That's what blogging, Facebook, and Twitter are all about (for better or worse).

(Just a quick aside, I just noticed that I always use an oxford comma. Is that a normal thing or just me?)

Anyway, platforms such as this are meant to release thoughts when they're perhaps in their purest form: instantly.

There is no time to sit back and reflect on what you want to say. You just say it. And, again, maybe that's where we went wrong. We expected almost every post to be mini works of art, testaments to our writing skills, and, hey, maybe a girl or two would notice in the process. But as a college graduate on the wrong side of 22, I am here to tell you that was totally foolish. And I am here to embrace the doom and gloom and the gravity that Ryan has given Charging Interests. I say, we are all living in worlds of darkness.

I don't mean to put words in my friend's mouth, but there might be a reason for the heavy posts (aside from alcohol and sad anniversaries, that is). While high school graduation is filled with joy, expectation, and Vitamin C, college graduation is (by my account) filled with anxiety and fear. By the time college graduation rolls around, you are expected to have gotten your shit together.At the end of college and after multiple majors (and maybe just as many transfers) your parents and most of adult society expect that you: a)at least know what career field you are going into, or even have a job lined up, b) are committed to a long term relationship or maybe even engaged/married, and c) for fuck's sake will not move back in. Well as it just so happens, I have failed on all of these counts. For people that are either far removed from this time period in their life or have not yet come to it, this is a very discouraging situation to be in. No longer do you have classes or clubs to at least passively move you along when you get in a rut. Now you either get yourself out of that rut or you stay in it and become Matthew McConaughey's character in Failure to Launch (sans "horse" of course). And believe me, after your first couple of job rejection letters, you will get stuck in a rut.

(Another aside. The new Shiner beer isn't all that bad, if you ask me. Y'all should give it a try. [And no, we are not getting advertising money from Shiner.])

What I mean to say is that I understand why people (including Ryan) feel/write the way they do. Graduating from college is perhaps one of the most petrifying things that I have done in my life. When I think about it, I have been in some form of school for over 17 years. Let's just say, I've got this shit down. And for people who aren't so academically inclined, well, at least you have come to know what to expect from school/college. Late October/early November is rolling around? Boom, mid-terms. May is coming soon? Well, break out the books and head to Sweet Eugene's, 'cause finals are just around the corner. (Btw, I would like to apologize for Sweet Eugene's website. No, it isn't a coffeeshop where Twilight reenactors brood around avoiding the sun. It's a pretty cool place, and you should check it out next time you're in CStat.) I know how to write a paper for school. I could do that in my sleep. But the past couple of months of work have been interesting to say the least. But a job, that's a whole different story.

For those of you who aren't either in my inner sanctum of friends and/or within earshot of me since February, my post-collegiate job is an internship at the German American Chamber of Commerce in Houston, TX. And I know, it sounds like I have it all worked out, right? "I am doing something that I studied for and that I've always wanted to do." No sir, let me personally tell you that some days I loathe going into the office. There is nothing worse than not knowing what to do, and then being totally screwed over because you didn't know and were to dumbstruck/scared to ask about it. And there is no extra credit! Then there is the office politics, of allying yourself with the right people, kissing your boss's ass, etc. But let me remind you that I have to deal with all of this in another language! Yes, the language of the office is German, and even though I love the German language and have studied it for many years, there are moments that I feel like I can't get a word out. Sometimes all of it is positively terrifying.

So, I'm sorry for the last bit there. It kind of devolved into a bit of a rant. But my ultimate point is this. If you have been disappointed with Charging Interests lately because of either lack of postings or content, then yes, we are guilty as charged. However, as I believe anyone will tell you the post-college period is not the most cheerful of places, so please excuse us as we get our lives in order. I promise, the funny, bright, and sports-oriented blog will return soon.

P.S.–Today, I believe, for the first time, I had a good day at the office. Maybe there's hope for us after all.

P.S.S.– I wrote all of this under the influence of half a bottle of red wine and several bottles of Shiner (as you can tell). Take this post as you will.

–Nick