There’s a girl named Meg who has been around since Sydney in
the last hostel. Well in Sydney I did Karaoke and since nobody knew I could
sing, I kinda blew everyone’s mind. I did “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”, a
classic, and Meg will occasionally share that I’m an “amazing singer”. She’s
kinda my hype man.
And Dom, another guy who’s been in the travels from Sydney
suggested I get a job singing. Bloody brilliant, as they would say. Of course I
would love to sing for money, but I went to college, an idea that I regret, if
there can be such a concept.
How could you do something you regret? I really hated
college and Pitt, but given the info I knew at the time, how could I not go to
Pitt? And then, you can’t really leave since there’s such a penalty to
switching. And such a waste in dropping out. So I could do nothing but graduate
in the fastest, simplest major possible.
But shouldn’t that apply to anything? How could you regret drunk
making out with that person last night? It was all you knew to do. Now you have
to face the consequences, but in that moment how could you do something other
than the best possible choice? You felt it. You did it.
You can’t regret getting married, or divorced, or quitting a
job, or going fishing or taking the stairs. Because you knew everything you
knew then. If you were to go back in time to change something, you’d have to
know something that future you knew. Otherwise, you’re the same person in the
same situation with the same knowledge. If you made the decision and not a coin
flip or something, then you’d make the same choice over and over.
I mean we make mistakes. It was a mistake going to Darwin,
but I can’t regret it cuz I wanted to go at the time. I didn’t know it’d be a
bummer. It was a mistake.
Back to Dom’s idea, be a professional singer. I used to wish
I was poor, because then I couldn’t afford college. And then a “real” person’s
job, with a real income and a boring standard job but safe wouldn’t be as
likely. And then I’d have to rely on what I was good at, singing and dancing
and being fun.
Instead, societal pressure and the promise of “opportunity” pushed
me towards college. And I never wanted college, I never even thought I would go
to college. College seemed dumb. College was dumb. I regret college.
My mom would say “well aren’t you glad you have a degree?”
And the answer is yea that’s handy to have, but not really the point. You’re
loading the question. That’s like saying “aren’t you glad the amputation is
over?” Yea I'm glad the saws are out of my bones, but I’d prefer to have had kept my legs (4 years and $90,000).
But I’m in an artsy town, and Melbourne’s alright. There’s
graffiti everywhere, it’s kind of embraced and discouraged. There’s ads running
saying “We will find you” to vandals. But then people are taking pictures of
all the graffiti. And most is really cool and good.
I got drunk for the first time here. Like drunk drunk, like
college drunk. Apparently I made a feature on the new Fat Boy Slim record. It
does a bit like me.
We raved-repeated a
few times and we saw a live band playing in a club. Things were blurry then and
I remember dancing cuz I dance by bouncing up and down. And then I remember
trying to feed a Tim Tam to a wombat. For like a really long time. We were
staring at each other for maybe 20 minutes. Then I wedged it in a tree and went
home.
I asked for advice on my resume to get a job and the
receptionist at the hostel told me to lie. Like lie lie. And I’m not gonna argue with her. That’s her
culture. I am but a guest in this beautiful country, who am I to tell her how
to behave.
So I ret conned some more Waffle Shop experience into my resume.
I worked there all last year.
And it worked. I got a trial as a kitchen hand in a Italian-ish
restaurant in the city center. It’s in a little alley and looks really pretty
from the outside. But on the inside all kitchens are grodey. The pay is bad and
the job is bleh but whatever, if I need it I need it right?
I went to a restaurant in Chinatown, which is more like
Asiatown cuz it was a Taiwanese restaurant, to look at another restaurant job. The
manager explained that in Chinatown minimum wage is $10/hour. What?? Is
Chinatown literally under China’s control? How does the minimum wage change for
just one street?
I lost the dishwasher job as quickly as I got it. The chef
sent me a text saying to call if I was still interested. I called, they didn’t
answer, I left a text asking for a day to think about it, they sent me a text
saying the position was filled. Oh well. I didn’t want it.
I went to another job interview for sales. Door to door and
B2B. It was very money and growth oriented. It was fine and I could wear a
suit. But I didn’t vibe fantastically well. Just partially well. So I turned
them down as well.
Finally, I had an interview today with a telemarketing for
charity company. Fundraising they call it. It was colorful and the people were cheery. And it
was my favorite interview. Towards the end they had us all come up with our own
charities and pitch them to the interviewers as if we were calling them. Mine
was Cars for Ants.
“Hi my name is Taylor Nodell and I’m representing Cars for
Ants! We provide vehicular support for ants who can’t travel the distance they
need to see their families over the holidays.
You see, 70% of ants don’t have a car and therefore can’t
see their aunts…. And uncles for Christmas and New Years.
But! We help to give ants cars so they can see their families
again.
And you can be a part of this too! For just $40/month you
can send ONE ant to the other side of the country and know the joy they get
when reuniting with their families.
Would you like to make a difference today and contribute to
Cars for Ants?”
It was fun making our own pitches and I felt like a kindergartener
with a silly fun idea and the drawings and posters on the wall.
So I liked the job and a few hours later I got the call and I
accepted! I start tomorrow. I know it’s got a stigma, but I’m supposed to help
the Great Barrier Reef not get plowed by some oil company and I can get behind
that. It pays better than any job I’ve had before too, so I’ll get over it.
Just taking some first settling steps.
