A Photo I Made
This photo was made with the Olympus pen ees2.
My pursuits of surviving capitalism have lead me many interesting places, but one of the least expected was a fifteen day trip I planned and managed for 25 adults who were exploring how higher education works in the United Arab Emirates. It’s not a place I would venture to visit on my own as I’m not a fan of warm weather and we took this trip in June. Please do not believe anyone who tells you this is a dry heat. Humidity averaged at 50% daily and “real feel” was often 115-125 F 🫠.
I’m so glad I had the opportunity to go here. As someone who experienced pivotal years of growth in a culture heavily influenced by the events on 9/11 and our country’s response to it, I hadn’t realized my own internal biases that were immediately exposed upon traveling through and working in a Muslim country. I got to see the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, visit desert dunes, and eat more dates than I thought was possible.
It was far from a vacation, but an educational experience I’m grateful to have had and will remember for a long time. And I’m absolutely thrilled to report that my last day at aforementioned job is TODAY.
Something I’m Thinking About
In my exit interview with HR at my very-soon-to-be former position, the sweet young lady confirmed that I was “…very underpaid for this position.” Yes. She said those words to me. Amazing news. Affirmed and Enraged™️ is the energy I’m bringing into the rest of summer, bb.
I don’t believe anyone can truly be “paid what they’re worth” because I don’t think the value of a human can be rendered into dollar amounts, but it would have been nice to be a little closer to my perceived value. Like, close enough to not have HR scoff at my low pay. What’s really happening here is that I’m disappointed and a little ashamed because I feel like I’ve been duped.
Something That’s Happening
In much happier news— we out here. Doing little hikes around our new home.
What I’m Reading:
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell has been great salve to the anxiety working nomadically has brought on. There’s a lot of similar threads running through this book as what popped up in Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey that I finished up a few weeks ago. Great non-fiction, anti-capitalist, affirmation texts. There’s clearly a theme in my summer reading.
What I’m Writing
I’ve started an application to a formal writing residency and wow is it intimidating. I’m looking forward to focusing more time on it now that work time is my own again, and having deadlines really does help me complete things.
What’s on the Needles
As a knitter, when you know someone who’s having a baby… that’s just the best. Baby knits are small, adorable, and usually quick. A family member is expecting and I cast on for a blanket a few days ago.
No, the socks I shared last newsletter and the sweater I shared the newsletter before that are not done! And that’s fine! One of the things I try to remind myself about my hobbies is that there’s no extra credit or grades. I can have ten projects going at once. I can never finish anything. The point is not production. It’s joy and personal satisfaction. And of course I WANT to finish things because endorphins are great, but in a world that’s constantly pushing me to check things off my list, I try to give myself a little more grace with knitting. There are no deadlines here.
Looking Back
In March of 2021 I took this job at an institution I’d been applying to for twenty-two months. My salary nearly doubled and I didn’t have a lot of places to spend it, as we were still staying inside and away from people. It helped me save money for this move. It made it possible for me to become a certified yoga teacher. It increased my quality of life.
There’s a lot I did not like about this job, though I made it useful for me. But the fact that I was a working, college-educated, adult for over a decade before getting paid a living wage is depressing, and I know I’m not an exception. This is a millennial mantra— that college education does not lead to stability in today’s working climate. I’m not trying to be a downer, but rather trying to say: if you’re feeling undervalued or underpaid— it’s not in your head. We all deserve better. Your worth surpasses your paycheck, your job, your desire to put on hard pants, all of it.
Looking Forward
With the move complete and my job ending, things feel rife with possibility and unknowns, which is as exciting as it is terrifying. I’m feeling wildly grateful. Not everyone gets to choose where they live, or quit their job before they have a new one lined up, or consider buying roller skates for the first time as a mid-life crisis/new personality trait. And here I am, doing all those things.
Thanks for reading!
Nothing like the confirmation that you've been underpaid for years by HR THEMSELVES. Love that for you. Also I have Impala skates which I absolutely love!
Congratulations on finding an ending!