From what I hear, 50 is the new 40, and 40 is the new 30. That’s what they’re saying, right?

So, why do I get the feeling that in the job market, 40 is more like 50, and 50 might as well be 80?

I can’t say for sure how much my age is impacting my ability to get a job because, truthfully, I haven’t had much luck for a very long time. But I truly believe at this point that it factors in, at least a little bit, and I believe a lot.

I don’t get to unload that bit of frustration very much because a) I can’t prove it and b) I don’t really want to drill it in (to myself, to the Universe, to anyone else) that I’m creeping up in years.

I’m well aware that young people just coming out of college are having a difficult time as well, but at least they can say one thing: they have time ahead of them and opportunities to try different things. By the time you’re 50, your opportunities are diminished, and the chances of getting a job drop exponentially with each passing year.

So, here I am, 23 years old (ahem). I look back and wish I had made some different decisions, but since I can’t do that, I try to pull myself out of that black hole and focus on the now and the future. No one knows what the future holds, but some people have plans—five-year plan, ten-year plan, etc. I don’t have any such plans, so all I can do is roll with the punches.

I hope to someday stop getting punched and be given a bouquet of flowers instead. Another scenario I can live with is getting punched but then falling back on a nice, cushy pillow, where I will enjoy the rest of my life.

Well, either way, it’s one day at a time. Right? I know some of my posts have been on the heavy side lately, but it’s been that kind of year for me so far. I’m hoping that things start to lift a little now and I’ll be able to offer some blogs that are actually useful to you. In the meantime, thanks for letting me vent.