Here's My Sign

Everyday as I drive through the streets of Boise, I see panhandlers standing on street corners, in parking lots, and even at some gas stations. They hold signs that can often tug at my heart strings, and stand there looking miserable while I am tucked warm and safe from the weather in my SUV. So many days, when I can spare the dollar, I will open the window and pass it through to the dirty hand that reaches out and grasps it, often with a "God bless you," following. And on those days that I am saving my last $1 to hit up the dollar menu at McDonald's, it is often difficult to sit at the stoplight and wait anxiously for the light to turn while the person on the street corner stares over at me while holding his sign. So what is wrong with this picture?

I can understand why an individual may have reached that point in their life where they feel the only thing they can do to survive is ask for money, and when you see some of the signs that are being held up, they explain this need even more. The majority of society believes (and I cannot deny that I am in this group), that we are being scammed or taken advantage of by most panhandlers. This is because panhandling has become a profession and they can make an upwards of $10 an hour. However, if I drop only a quarter in their cup I am still feeling guilty for not giving more of what I have, but when in all actuality I am giving something and they should just be grateful. When searching "panhandling" on google.com we are provided with numerous websites just teaching the individuals how to panhandle the right way to make the most money. The reality is that we cannot always tell by looking at a person or their sign whether they will take the money we are giving them and feed the children they claim to have or go buy drugs or alcohol. We instead have faith that what we are doing is what our God wants us to do.. "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you". Or maybe it is the constant thought of Karma. All I know is that I am in the wrong profession if I could be making $10 and hour just standing on the corner holding a sign and not having to do laundry... I should start taking notes on where the most profitable corners would be.

So the question remains... do I give my money to the panhandlers? In all actuality I will continue to, out of belief that what I do today can always come back on me tomorrow. Maybe the man or woman on the street corner needs that dollar worse than I need the dollar menu at McDonald's. And if by chance I ever have to hold a sign asking for money, I would hope that people driving by would choose to think twice for me as well. The money we give panhandlers may be instant gratification by supplying food, drugs, and alcohol, but I cannot be the judge of an individual holding a sign asking for help. However, the Chinese proverb that should probably speak to me the most is: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime". Damn I wish I had more time to fish!

-I will keep you posted -destiny

The Dreaded Job Search

Gone are the days of simply walking into a company, asking if they are hiring, filling out an application, and waiting for the call for an interview. Gone are the days of finding numerous job listings in the newspaper. And gone are most job offers provided by knowing someone who knows someone. Instead we face an electronic application and resume' submittal system, compete against hundreds of people throughout the world for the same positions, and never even see the person we are applying with. Our chances of landing the dream job, or even just the jobs that will pay the bill, have become ridiculously slim. Even being able to find the jobs has become difficult. Company's used to be able to put "Help Wanted" signs in their windows to attract applicants, but now with the hordes of people looking for work, doing this would just cause a bombardment of resume's and sifting through unqualified applicants. Newspapers used to have "Employment Opportunity" sections filled with available jobs, but today there are numerous websites that must be browsed each day to find newly posted job listings. To make it worse, there are so many that it becomes difficult at times to keep track of them. Monster.com, careerbuilder.com, snagajob.com, and local employment agency websites are just some of the websites that maintain a high traffic of job seekers.

Today I walked into a job fair and 30 minutes later walked out with diminished hopes of it being of any assistance in my trying job search for something better. I am constantly questioning how to make myself a better candidate for the jobs that are available. When asked if I have hands on experience while applying for work in my field of education, I have to answer with a simple "no". Strike one. When asked if I have any education while applying for a position that I have some hands on experience for, another simple "no" follows suit. Strike two. So this leaves me with the jobs of retail sales (if I am lucky), fast food, and the dreaded customer service call centers. So how is it that a person can get the hands on experience necessary to get the job if nobody is willing to take a chance on them? How about, during my next interview, I say, as I grovel on my hands and knees, "I will work for you unpaid for two weeks to prove myself!", and see if this comes with any different results. Oh-Wait! Would this just show my desperation to land a job? Or the company's desperation to get free work done? If I have such a belief in myself that I can do the job without error, then maybe my two week offer is not such a bad idea.

I will keep you posted. -destiny