Where one door closes...

I have been silent for a year trying to figure some things out. I graduated a year ago and was set to take a year to "enjoy life". I can say for certainty that this has not been what I thought it would be; not at all what I was looking forward to. What people never tell you about your first year after college is that no one cares. No one cares that you have this expensive brain now filled with useless knowledge (at least when it comes to standing out from all the other expensive brains.) Forgive my pessimism but I wish someone would have told me this when I was making my plans to kick back and enjoy the benefits of my lifetime pursuits of knowledge. Whether it is employment, enjoyment, or further pursuit of self-betterment your first year out of college is your introduction what your parents meant by "the real world". You would think that 10's if not 100's of thousands of dollars and countless all-nighters would amount to more than an entry-level job or unpaid internship. But professors don't put that in the syllabus.
What I've discovered in my year of silence (as I will refer to it from now on) is:
1. That silence is about as unproductive as leaving your mix tape with the receptionist at Interscope (or for fellow English grads, e-mailing submissions to Penguin). You've done the work but sitting back and waiting for it to pay off; for the world to convene at your door-step and plead for your contributions to the world - is not only ludacris but laughable. What I hope is that each of the lessons I have learned will not only help me to devise antidotes but also help other post-undergrads not feel so disparaged. You are not alone.
Which leads me to 2. - you are not alone. I was at a wedding this past weekend and ran into a few fellow post-undergrads in quite the same position as myself. Isn't it the sad truth that misery loves company? Not that I am miserable by any means but that I found company in my disillusionment with the promises of education. My fellow post-undergrads had found success in that they were employed or attending grad school - but by no means "living the dream". We blamed the economy, Michigan's legislature, the auto industry, etc. for our meager means. (Very un-American to do but very aligned with human nature.) I should back-up to clarify the subjective nature of living the dream which will bring me to my next lesson.
3. You are right where you should be. Each of my fellow post-undergrads are smart, motivated, and hard-working people. Is it possible that ramen noodle diets and studio apartments are part of the plan for their lives? Dare I say, God's plan? I know many, if not the majority of, people would discount this possibility. But as I am sharing what I have learned in my year of silence, all the circles I have taken in my mind my always lead me back to this simple truth that God has placed me just where He wants me to be. The saying about open and closed doors is the best way I can think of to portray how I got to this point in my life. God has opened so many doors for me to walk through but now the door to lucrative jobs or exotic travels seems closed and through the back window doubt creeps in. Maybe my next post should explore at what point my emphasis shifted to these worldly pursuits when all I used to ever want is to be with the people I love.
More later.