Don't we all? I really feel like our generation is thoroughly fucked, and there's nothing we can do about it, and everyone who can do anything about it is ignoring us. Just look at the Occupy Protests.

It would be nice if the protestors solidified on a few key subjects, but it seems like it turned into a "there are people out there causing a ruckus over political shit, let's go join them," without actually finding out what the reason behind it was. Their intentions may be good, but they're not really doing anything.

Our generation was pretty screwed when the schools started failing so badly. I've talked before about how incredibly behind a lot of my classmates were, even in high school. You really don't need a doctorate degree to succeed in this world, but you do have to be able to read and think for yourself.

Yeah, I know, as much as I generally don't buy into conspiracy theories, the poor education leads to this sort of not-really dissent, we're generally not even taught how to defend ourselves or really compete against the coporate interests and previous generations who have been given an entirely different world. The saddest part is that they don't understand we're struggling through a different world than they had, working your whole life at a factory for retirement just isn't going to happen for us, we're lucky to hold on to a shitty job long enough to make ends meet, and I really feel like all the push for student loans, pushing kids into the 13th grade to live a lifetime in debt was a deliberate action, ensuring that our corporate overlords could keep us trapped as serfs.

Because honestly, most people SHOULDN'T go to college, and I know how abysmal the education system is, because I had the influence to improve my reading skills in first grade and ended up with a sixth grade reading level by 2nd. And I remember kids in high school english classes struggling to sound out words.

I really feel that age based segregation of students doesn't work, classes should be ranked by skill level, and we need to pare down the courses to getting the basics covered, and make the higher classes more optional. At the same time I feel that proper socialization/communication/psychology classes should be introduced from an early age because I honestly don't think most people, let alone children are brought up with the right knowledge of how to interact with other human beings.

I agree with all of these things, but most of all what I think schools need are confidence and self esteem classes. Kids are not being taught how to succeed in life beyond the ridiculous tests that are given in school. I remember my mock interview in senior year of high school. I was the only kid in my class that got a mark of "would hire" because no one knew what the hell to say in an interview. AND LOOK AT ME NOW, I still can't get a job, largely because of all the competition out there who no doubt know a hell of a lot more than I do about standing out in a pile of resumes.

The other thing no one is learning is the art of saving money. Our generation especially has the mindset of "if I want it, I'm buying it NOW," which gets them into trouble when actually paying bills, and not only that, but it's one of the main reasons credit card debt is so high in this country.

I have all the same memories when it comes to struggling classmates. I was abslutely dumbfounded as a kid when I would go to school to find out that I was the only kid who actually did their homework or read the textbooks.

I guess the long and short of my rant now is that, schools aren't actually teaching kids that there is indeed a life beyond school. Eventually they'll have a lot more responsibility than writing a paper now and then. Then kids are surprised when they turn 18 and their parents throw them out to make lives of their own. One girl I grew up with who never bothered to find a job is secretly getting apartment and car payments from her dad, and I know for a fact that her mom would kill them both if she found out. But she's daddy's little princess and he can't let her think he's abandoning her (she's 24 years old, btw).

Lack of foresight and spoiling really ruined us as an age group in general. Even though I do see it mostly as a character flaw, I also blame parents and schools for not putting more emphasis on the importance of preparing for the future.

Yeah, I admit to classism on that aspect myself, I was a poor kid, so I never had money to spend on stuff, and despite a short time after living on my own I bought a bunch of useless crap, I spent fairly wisely. My husband on the other hand is a middle class kid has been learning how to live poor the hard way.

I think one of the biggest things that is lacking in our society is the notion that children are supposed to be raised with the intent of producing independent adults, instead kids get coddled and sheltered and there's the nonsense of being so afraid of hurting the kids self esteem that any disappointment is a mortal wound.

I really think you nailed it with the description of not teaching kids there is life beyond school, I've known so many people who live their entire lives as if they're still in high school.

It's also the whole global scale of things these days, the fact that there's so much outsourcing and how in general Americans don't actually produce anything any more, all our jobs are service jobs, and service jobs are only useful for rich people, so in short the entire goddamn economy is going down the toilet because we can't afford to be as well off as we are.

:c

If you need to talk, any time of the day, hit me up on Skype. You'll never be a bother.
I hope everything starts to go right for you.

I haven't been online a terrible lot lately, but a chat would be great. Sometime soonish I'll try to get on Skype for an evening. Thanks, brah.

Hmm. Well I certainly hope u don't later decide to ditch FA seeing as you are one of the few folks on FA who isn't a fucknugget. And I like ur art, it's not always furry themed and that's a welcome break. And things will get better. Unless you get sick or die, they always do. It just takes longer than we would like it to more often than not. Best of luck though, and get ballsy with job applications if you think you need a better one. If you usually get the ones you apply for you aint aiming high enough, and you can go for better shit. And of course, god bless.

For the time being, it is not my intention to leave. I also want to stay in touch with friends like yourself, and I do occasionally want to keep posting art. Probbly not everything I draw, I want a real gallery for that.

And thanks, man. I know that eventually I'll find something, but the struggle toward it has been pretty grueling.