Sunday, September 21, 2008

...i am not a pretty girl/that is not what i do...

we'll do this week in reverse. so hold on to your seats ladies and gentlemen...

in regards to the title (an ani classic) i spent yesterday watching both a women's rugby game (thank you allison for the invite!) and roller derby. and not to imply they weren't actually pretty in the least, but 'pretty' certainly isn't what these ladies do. they're out there getting dirty, playing rough and it just made me think a lot about these absolutely athletic women who are out there competing in sport but also having a ton of fun. they were so real, and full of passion and fire and comeraderie.... and, i miss that. watching both these events (and if you've never seen either, you should see both), watching these women on these teams made me realize how much i want to be a part of something... something that challenges me physically and mentally, something that gives me that rush, something that requires teamwork - the necessary support of others for anyone to sucessful.

picking up and moving...being here without a local network, without anyone who really knows me, without someone to call to go hiking or hit the town on a saturday night, i feel kind of... very on my own. which has it's moments for sure. and i know the rest will come, it takes time, but watching those women yesterday made me realize, acutely, how great it is to have that. i think about my rugby team at bowdoin, and i don't know what i would have done without those girls - it was such an amazing group of ladies, and some of my best friends came out of playing rugby. i just feel so lucky to have experienced that, to have been a part of something like that... and i hope to do it again. though, since i've been effectively banned from rugby, i'm not sure how this will manifest... perhaps roller derby is in my future? (i'd clearly need to learn how to rollerskate first!)

back to the rewind, i went to the rugby with allison, whom i met on wednesday night courtesy of spencer (whom i met thanks to rachael who works with mom). anyway, spencer was so sweet and organized a little get together at blue moon where i got to meet him and a bunch of his friends, have a few beers and hang out. everyone was really friendly and welcoming, and it was nice to get out of the house and chill with some people (albeit strangers!). anyway, allison and i got to talking, and she's a physical therapist and somehow rugby came up and one of her friends had a game sat, so i tagged along to watch :) so fun to watch live rugby!

the roller derby was a bit of a surprise, i got a call from scott (who i don't know) who is a friend of bjorn's (who is out of town) and he had some extra tickets, and i had nothing else to do with my saturday night so i headed down to the expo center and watched some roller derby! it was a whole other world, i have never seen it, so there was a bit of a learning curve, but definitely fun to watch and both of portland's teams won, so that was exciting! thanks scott!

so, let's get all the social stuff out of the way... on thursday i met up with jake kamins and his girlfriend jackie for trivia night at a bar in NE. it was great to see them both again, and actually chat a little, and trivia was fun - i even got a few things right, ha! and a welcome distraction to a not-so-great day.

had a few interviews this past week, which i thought went really well, but didn't get a couple of jobs, and one i had really really wanted. and i was perfect for, the woman even said so in her very sweet rejection letter - but she was looking for someone who wanted to do it very long term, and that's not my 5 year plan. but i think she'll be a great contact and we're going to keep in touch. not getting that job just sent me a bit into a spin... about how i have no idea when i will get to do what i WANT to do. i want to be doing acupuncture. but, it seems so so so SO far away. and already feel like it's been ages since i was in a clinic practicing... and i miss it. SO much. i'm going to have make bjorn and mason get needles, just so i keep up with the needles :P. anyway, after much talking with mom and dad, tim and emily (thank you all, much appreciated) had a much better day on friday and a really great interview for yet another job. my interviewer told me i interviewed really well, so cross your fingers - it seemed like a great work environment and i should hear by tuesday if i made round two of the interviews...

and there you have it, albeit in a slightly disjointed fashion. here's to a new week and me getting a job :)



I am not a pretty girl
that is not what I do
I ain't no damsel in distess
and I don't need to be rescued
so put me down punk
maybe you'd prefer a maiden fair
isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

I am not an angry girl
but it seems like I've got everyone fooled
every time I say something they find hard to hear
they chalk it up to my anger
and never to their own fear
and imagine you're a girl
just trying to finally come clean
knowing full well they'd prefer you
were dirty and smiling

and I am sorry
I am not a maiden fair
and I am not a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere

and generally my generation
wouldn't be caught dead working for the man
and generally I agree with them
trouble is you gotta have youself an alternate plan
and I have earned my disillusionment
I have been working all of my life
and I am a patriot
I have been fighting the good fight
and what if there are no damsels in distress
what if I knew that and I called your bluff?
don't you think every kitten figures out how to get down
whether or not you ever show up

I am not a pretty girl
I don't want to be a pretty girl
no I want to be more than a pretty girl

-Ani DiFranco

1 comment:

Erica said...

good luck with the interviews ... i have a feeling you're going to find a great job!

everything happens for a reason, my friend :-)