Day 3--What to buy your 50-something mom for her birthday

Today is my mom's birthday.  Unfortunately she's a few hours and hundreds of miles of way, so this year's gift was shipped out a few days ago.  It's always so tricky buying stuff for the 50-something crowd.  Whatever they want, they already have, whatever they want they'll just buy themselves, and they generally already have more than they need.

For moms, this is my general rule of thumb: $15-30, something with a dash of sentimental, nothing too flashy.  Here are 5 gift ideas for your 50-something mom:

1)      Nostalgic cds. When's the last time your mom listened to ABBA?  Cyndi Lauper?  She'll get a blast from the past and the chance to rock out like her youth. 

2)      Nostalgic movies.  Surprise her with some movies of her childhood or teenage years.  On rainy days my mom always mentions the old Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers musicals. And in summer she remembers Star Wars in theaters.

3)      Gift Certificates. Personally I tend to avoid gift cards as they're usually a sign that you're doing it last minute, but a dinner gift card or massage/pedi/mani gift card for your mom is perfect for her special day.

4)      Jewelry. Sometimes a necklace that says "Mom" on it is an advertisement to those who see it, saying "This mom is loved".  Cheesy, yes.  But she'll probably love it.

5)      Funny books about womanhood/motherhood.  Maybe your mom has passed by in the stores, but she hasn't quite wanted to buy it for herself.  Send her some laughs for her birthday.

Day 2--I wish that The Ministry of Magic was hiring

What do you do with an English degree?

Usually when I hear this question I respond with: "Buy a lotto ticket and pray."  If I were to give it some time, however, my answer is a little more on the shade of shared humanity.

I believe that literature is the oldest form of immortality.  Music is a few centuries behind, and movies are a few centuries behind that (but both very worthy contenders).  Why is The Canterbury Tales, written by Chaucer at the end of 14th century still funny?  Because fart jokes are funny to human beings.  Why do people still care about Romeo and Juliet, tweaked and produced by Shakespeare in the 1590s?  Because people can still relate to irrational things we do when we fall in love.

Do you know why Phillis Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral (1773) opens with a letter from judge attesting that she actually wrote it?  Because the majority of the population didn't believe that a black person, yet alone a black woman, was capable of creative intelligence.  Through this work and many others, perceptions of African Americans were challenged.

Speaking of which...Uncle Tom's Cabin, written by Stowe in 1852, was the 2nd best selling book in the 19th century (behind the Bible).  It's a poorly written book full of stereotypes, but it was enough of a sentimental novel that it evoked protests, heated arguments, plays, anti-Tom novels, and influenced, in part, the spark of the Civil War.  

The Jungle (1906) was written by Sinclair as a means to attack capitalism, but it actually spurned on what is now known as The Food and Drug Administration due to the disgusting reports of the meat packing industry.

And how many friends have been made over the love of Harry Potter? Twilight? Game of Thrones? The Catcher in the Rye? Sex and the City?

When I say that literature is immortal is because of its scope of empathy.  Humanity hasn't changed that much.  You can still cringe when you read about a slave's fresh being torn up with a whip because you understand pain.  You can still laugh with Shakespeare because you can understand what it's like to laugh at fools.  You can still relate to Holden Caufield and Ester Greenwood because you know what it feels like to be lost. Literature is about the human experience, the human story.  Literature reminds us what it is to be human and what it has always meant to be human, ie love, pain, humor, struggle, friendship, family.

I do think that literature is important. I do think it's relevant. 

But to translate that into a job?...I'm completely adrift...But that's for another entry... 

Day 1: "Panic Switch"

New blog, everyone!  Welcome to my first full year of post-grad! 

Ok ok, technically I graduated 21/2 weeks ago, but I've been traveling/moving/packing/errands/ect and I'm a sucker for starting things on the 1st so here we are June 1st, 2011, Wednesday.

Goals for the next year:

--Get a job. Preferable a good one.

--Live in a cool house

--Make friends

--Eat things besides Mac&Cheese and pizza

--Do yoga at least twice a week

--Jog a few times a week

--Make a financial investment 

--Have better style

--A year from now, be able to be proud of something I've made and become.

I'm currently sitting on a blue-sheeted bed in San Diego, a block from the beach and still in my pjs at noon.  The salt in the air is strong today and the tourists haven't quite over run the sidewalks yet.  I'll be heading out in about an hour to (1) Target to get my mom a birthday present and send it to her and (2) Head to the library to spend a few hours online looking for jobs.

Jobs will probably be the top discussion points these next few posts as it's my number one priority this month. :/ Wish me luck!