Overcoming Adversity Blogfest

Today, I'm participating in Nick Wilford's Overcoming Adversity blogfest. If you haven't already, please head over there to hear the story behind this event. Once it's over, Nick's going to compile all of the entries into an anthology to benefit his son's school fund. :)

The Rules:

• Write about overcoming adversity for something you believe in. ✓
• Please keep your (family-friendly) entry to 500 words. ✓ (442 words.)
• It can either be a flash fiction piece or an episode from your real life. Poetry is fine, too. ✓
• Please post on either February 4th or 5th. ✓

Years ago, I found myself in a dark place.

I'd done everything society expected of me—I went to college, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in marketing, and gained experience in the private sector—but none of that seemed to matter. The job market was in shambles, and I'd already lost two positions.  A sudden death in the family left me reeling. I didn't recover.

While the student loan collectors circled overhead, I bled my savings dry. There was no other way. I'd applied everywhere, gone on countless interviews, but always met the same excuses:

"We [never had any intention of hiring you and have] filled this position internally."

"Another [blood-related] candidate had more experience [with nepotism]."

"Unfortunately, we feel you're a little over-qualified [to clean the toilets in our fast food restaurant, and all of your dreams are dead]."

(I might have added some inferences there.)

Anyway, months turned into years, and I found myself dangerously close to the ledge. My friends were moving on with their lives—taking big city positions, getting married, and having babies—and I'd returned to my hometown a failure. The height of my fears had been realized.

When I wasn't researching companies in the obsessive, overly-ambitious manner I do most things, I spent my free time volunteering and writing. You probably know where this story is going now. I used those early WIPs as an escape and didn't think much of it—until I snapped. 

It happens. 

Anyway, that was about the time I decided to forge my own career. Why put so much pressure on myself to conform to what society called a safe, traditional path? I loved writing, and there was nothing stopping me from pursuing it on a professional level. 

So, I threw myself into research, gathering advice from every book, website, and blog I could find. It took a while to learn the ropes, but once I did, I felt the difference. Writing had become more than a hobby to me; I'd found my passion. Gone were the days of bitterness and apathy—for the most part. (I still hiss when I drive past places that wouldn't hire me, but that's beside the point.) My family was thrilled to have the old me back, and they wholeheartedly supported my decision to write. 

A few years have passed, and in that time, I've been blessed with a fantastic publisher, wonderful friends, and a place where I really belong. I'm hard at work on my next writing project, and to supplement my lack-of-income, I've been doing freelance graphic design. It might not be life-sustaining, but for now, it's enough.

I'm happy. :)

Have a great week, guys! ♥