Reminiscing about myself and the Illinois Primary

I’ve been trying for decades to scrimp and save money for investment, and what little I accumulated wasn’t enough to buy stocks worth more than investing in the typical startups that invariably go belly-up.

When Bitcoin was valued under $3, I was subsisting on the verge of homelessness, so there was no chance I could spare enough money to risk investing in something about which I knew almost nothing.

While I live on what trickles in from a family farm trust, it’s not enough to afford rent, so I live with my mother. She’s been gracious, caring and generous, and every day I imagine the darkness I might face without her generosity.

I cannot fathom how to thank her without it seeming disingenuous or petty. I try to help her as much as possible. As long as her patience does not wear out, I can bide my time until a job comes along that fits my skill set.

So, I subsist on what little I have, which means I can’t afford the luxury of even dating. I have too much respect for women to drag them into a relationship they will regret. Besides, I don’t even physically qualify for Natural Selection, but I’m working on it at Planet Fitness.

As for Illinois Politics, I envy the billionaires who can drop millions of dollars on advertising and travel to get name recognition enough to overshadow any other candidates, even those with bright, interesting ideas for experimental policy changes which might prove successful if given a chance.

But policy change ideas by one set of politicians threaten the livelihoods of another set of politicians, and the stalemate is dragging everyone else down.

It’s going to be another governor versus whomever. I don’t know if J.B. Pritzker will get along with Michael Madigan if he wins the general election in November. I hope the General Assembly allows J.B.to enact his campaign promises. Not likely.

Whatever the outcome, the rest of Illinois and myself can only ride with the tide. Or is it me and the rest of Illinois?

Why is Russia so interested in my blog?

I don't know what is going on, but it seems some people in Russia are interested in my blog. Does anyone know why?

Screen shot of my blog stats

Expectations and Emotional Response

I notice that people expect me to have certain emotional responses based on their preconceived ideas about how people should respond. They expect me to be angry. They expect me to be sad. They expect me to be depressed. But I am not them. It has a lot to do with my education at UIS in the field of Communication. I was told a phrase that blew my mind and resonates with me since I first heard it in 2004: "Meaning is in people, not in things."

Take this quick, anonymous two-question survey: I would like to know how feelings work:

Somehow I managed to detach meaning from stimulus. You could say it was like passing the Vulcan ritual of Kolinahr, Now I keep asking myself "How am I supposed to feel?"

While I do have chronic anxiety as an inherited condition, I'm aware of its presence. I'm not sure how to get people to manage their expectations and take ownership of their feelings. I no longer let situations dictate my feelings because I own my feelings. You can too.

Dear No-Reply employer

I received the following email this morning from a potential employer. It was a 'no-response' email, so I must thank them here on my blog instead.

Dear Frederick,
Thank you for interviewing for the Part Time,_______. It was a pleasure meeting with you.
On behalf of the hiring team, I want to thank you for your interest in joining our location. We found ourselves in the fortunate position of having a wide range of qualified candidates from which to choose. Your background and experience was very impressive, however we have selected another candidate that we feel is the best match for this position.
We appreciate your interest in _______ and wish you success in your job search.
Sincerely,
________

Response:

Thank you for sparing some time in your busy schedule to interview me. It's very rare for me to be called in for an interview and this experience has lifted my spirits. Being a Gen-X'er in a world now run by Millennials, I understand the desire to hire younger instead of older. No hard feelings.