I lied, I'm really not ready for this adulthood thing… (941 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.35 on 30 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by JulsInsane <julsinsane.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2005-05-10 14:49:03 EDT
When I left college I was one of those people who was completely sure I had everything figured out. I had gotten my degrees and now I would go on and get a job in corporate America and wear a suit and have important paperwork to look over while on the train. I would finally be sitting at the adult table, in summation I was going to tear shit up.
And for all of you who are laughing because to know what's to come...eat me! I had no idea.
Instead of doing the smart thing, the obvious thing, working for a company using my biology or english degrees, I decided to start my own general contracting company. I'm a 24 year old female who is starting a construction company, I needed to say that out loud just to see if it sounded as ludicrous to others as it does in my head. All the degrees in the world aren't going to help me now. To give you a little back story on why I would do something this foolhardy and spastic I would have to describe my family. My father is paying for his years of drinking and rugby debauchery with 3 daughters. His parents were young and unmarried so he was raised by his grandmother until her death when he was 14 and he left home after that, he only has the equivalent of a sixth grade education. My mother was raised on a rural farm the youngest of 13; she was a change of life baby for her mother and an end of life baby for her 66 year old father. Now for anyone who has read this far you are wondering who the fuck cares about this shit, well it's important for this reason: perspective. My parent's perspective on life and stress is skewed by their upbringing. You can't complain about the injustices of preadolescence when your father can recall being both homeless and hungry and your mother had no indoor plumbing till she was 8 or 9.
When we moved to the US my parents moved here with $10,000 from the sale of their home in London and two small children. We lived with my aunt for two months before moving into our very own one bedroom apartment in Queens. My parents, my little sister and I all stayed in the same room. In hindsight I really have no idea how they did it, they were my age.
School was never really an issue in my house, my father couldn't tell you what grade we were in, or what our teacher's name was or even perhaps what was the name of the school we were going to, but he would know if you weren't doing well. This carried on into high school for me when one summer when I was working for him after my junior year of high school he asked me if I had one or two years left till I left for college. Everything in his mind always worked that way, when it would happen not if. The SATs was just another exam, and when it came down to applying for colleges he based his preferences on which one I should attend by what the probability of me meeting a nice Irish lad while attending would be.
My dad has been self employed as long as I can remember. It has given him two homes, numerous cars, two daughters in college, one bankruptcy, two bad knees and a fractured vertebra in his back. I have seen him buy my mother jewelry that costs thousands of dollars, and I have seen him break down into tears while standing next to my car as I leave to go back to college because there was no Christmas presents that year because he had broken his back several weeks earlier.
Now despite and perhaps slightly because of all this I have decided to go into business for myself, maybe I am doing it because I am trying to give my dad a piece of that son that he swears he never wished for, or maybe I just want to be a little like him. Either way I am making this decision with everything on my side, my parents, my father's advice, and my education. I still can not help but be frightened shitless by the whole thing, and to think at this age my parents were starting out in a new country with two young children. Jesus Christ they must have been nuts!
I need a beer. And I couldn't find a picture that was of a woman in construction that didn't either have a mullet or didn't look like a porn star in a beer commercial. So I went with this.
User Reviews
Submitted by Amy (user info) at 2005-05-11 00:26:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
no comment...just good luck
Submitted by hungovermondays (user info) at 2005-05-11 00:09:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
ahah
YES.
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2005-05-10 23:59:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You go girl!
Submitted by strider (user info) at 2005-05-10 18:20:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
would have been only a +1 but here's a +2 in hopes of you including the part you forgot to paste.
TheSpook, you can go pound sand. Who are you to presume this is how she'll behave? Go small business! w00!
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2005-05-10 17:36:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
You sound bangable. True?
I admire your spunk. Now let's share some of mine.
Submitted by loki (user info) at 2005-05-10 17:29:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Ignore the haters, I hope you make this work. Both of my parents own their own business and I...don't. My dad is a contractor who never had a head for money or priorities for that matter. I can totally relate to the whole feast or famine thing. My mom is an accountant so that was where the financial stability came from. I would like to say that she did it because it was her dream, but she went back to school to keep the family fed & clothed with a roof over our heads.
So tell me, were you always about three weeks from X happening and then things would work out? Sometimes three weeks went by and X did happen and the guy who owed dad money would pay or the job that dad was working on would be finished, but it seems like a lot of the times three weeks would turn into three more weeks.
Now, I catch myself doing the same thing and damn near break out in hives, then I remember that I sold my soul to a big corporation and get what is to me a stunning amount of money automatically deposited neatly in my checking account every month. Then I calm down.
note that I said stunning amount of money "to me" which may or may not actually be a stunning amount of money but truth be told, I am overpaid here
unless my boss stumbles across this in which case, no she's probably aware of the fact that I'm overpaid so oh well there
Ignore all of that last part, I don't want to scare you out of opening your own business. I think it's cool that you're following your dreams.
Submitted by MyNameIsTim (user info) at 2005-05-10 16:43:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
thats impressive. are you still in NY? what happened at the end that you forgot to cut and paste?
did you live happily ever after? fail miserabley, and then go hang out in jersey/
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-05-10 16:34:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good for you, that takes a lot of balls (or whatever)!
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:53:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I look forward to dealing with your shoddy business that will attempt to scratch and claw for every meaningless penny the government has. After years of frustration with your company, the government agency that employs you will be taken to court where your business will be rewarded handsomely. The reason for your reward will be: "The big, bad governement is picking on this woman contractor."
After recieivng this reward, you and your company will continue to abuse the system in every way possible. Once the reputation of your business is ruined and you've made your cash, you will bring another partner to run the show, thus providing you with a "different" company.
This cycle will start anew, thus providing me with all the pain and misery in my horrible wretched life.
Good luck and stuff.
Submitted by Robyn (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:53:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Your situation sounds a lot like mine. I am also my fathers pretend son. It feels good to hear of another girl who is trying to not only take on the trade world but also own a company in it.
GOOD LUCK!
Although you are my sworn enemy because you are a GC and I am a heating contractor.
Submitted by Fartman (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:42:36 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I don't care what your gender is. If you have the necessary skills and smarts, you'll do fine.
Go for it.
Submitted by Heathers (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:37:47 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good for you.
Submitted by Teephphah (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:30:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I don't know what's up with everybody else, but I fucking loved this.
Best of luck to you, get out there and kick some ass and make your dad proud(er).
PS - I love that you admire your parents so much.
Submitted by Adamdidit2u (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:30:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I guess it beats tring to find an interesting job with those two degrees
Submitted by JMG114 (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:27:24 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I started a business last year. My only regret is not doing it sooner.
Submitted by JulsInsane (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:19:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Loren-
I am hanging out near the building dept. waiting for an apointment. Boo to the building dept.
I would love to hire you, as I have no money I cannot. I need a logo and such. Can I trade you some drywall for some fabulous art skills? no? damn!
Scrum-
One word for you...KANSAS. I don't even know where that is. I wish I was kidding. I know it's over on the west somewhere. Yeats baby Yeats all the way, and if your in the mood to forsake country and all happiness the obvious Joyce.
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:17:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
English and biology to go into contracting? That alone deserves a minus 2. But you did admit it was borderline stupid/crazy, so good for you. Quick question is your dad happy about this? I mean I assume after working construction for however long he has that he has some clients and other connections, does he want you to take over for him, or are you going to break his heart for doing the same thing?
Submitted by Zombie_Reagan (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:13:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
NO NSFW => BANNED
Submitted by scrumdown (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:08:50 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Gareeb's aside, I think it was well written, not the best, but I think we can all see your fathers withered hands as he sees the end of a life drawing nearer, a life he never imagined would be his. And whats up with a nice Irish lad?? There are nice young Catholic lads from Kansas too. So with your english degree, who's the best author of, only, like, evar. You had so better say Kipling.
Submitted by Loren1 (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:08:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
If you're about to embark on this professional cliff-diving adventure, I only have one question for you:
WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE ON UBERSITE???
With that said - best of luck. Kick some ass. -- and if you are still in the NY area I am available for freelance graphic art work.
Submitted by JulsInsane (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:01:51 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Ok I just realised I didn't cut and paste a whole big portion of this. DAMN!
Fuck it, its tooo late to try again.
Submitted by pantsarestupid (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:01:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I forget to rate everytime. +2 for my stupidity.
Submitted by Jeanneee (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:01:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Why stop with just the one mistake? Get yourself a nice substance abuse problem or an out-of-wedlock baby. After that it's just a rolling snowball to the bottom of Loser Mountain.
Submitted by pantsarestupid (user info) at 2005-05-10 15:00:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
It does seem incomplete...but good luck with it. I'm a bartender at a bar in Queens if you ever
get around to getting that beer.
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2005-05-10 14:59:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Good Luck!
Submitted by knucklesnelson (user info) at 2005-05-10 14:59:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
needed more titty
Submitted by GodChicken (user info) at 2005-05-10 14:57:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
so how did this relate to the title of not being ready?
nobody's ever ready for shit.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2005-05-10 14:57:41 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Okay.
Submitted by Pentameter (user info) at 2005-05-10 14:57:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I think the train you were on derailed.
This has absolutely no direction. With a point, some polishing and editing, this probably would have been a decent read.
Submitted by ruthless (user info) at 2005-05-10 14:52:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
This seems a little incomplete...