NO ONE TO TELL YOUR TROUBLES TO?? GET THEM OFF YOUR CHEST HERE. WE PROMISE TO LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND.

That's very nice of you, Desert Fox, 5* from me.

Thanks. A lot of people have things to vent but have no ear to vent too. That is what we will do here.

I agree.

I miss my mama.

There are hundreds of suicides each year caused by the lack of hope, loneliness, and no one that will try and understand them. If only one can be helped by someone on this huge forum, that would be worth it all.

That's beautiful, and very true.

Green karma to you.

Thank you, and you, as well. In this world of take, take, take, it's nice to see someone who gives.

I would hope this thread has the same success that my, "I quit smoking" thread is having. I have a great group of volunteers that are there every day to help others, that is what I hope happens here.

That's great! Best of luck here, Desert Fox, I'm sure it will be of help to others.

One need not be a psychologist to help others, just and ear and a caring heart. Volunteers welcome here, no degree necessary. Pay, no. Rewards yes.

I will certainly keep this thread in my favorites, and volunteer to help out, when I can, thanks DF.

Great, thank you.

Hi CHL2.

One of my parents is a former high-ranking FEMA employee and retired FBI agent, and the other is also a retired FBI agent who now works for a "charity" which deals with emergency preparedness issues and which is funded almost exclusively by one billionaire.

I'm in my 20s. I'm well-educated, intelligent, and harder working than most people I know. I have a good resume. I love and respect my parents. But I am highly distrustful of the government. In fact, it's that same distrust of the government that led me here to this site, among many others.

My main problem (which I acknowledge may not be that big compared to other people's problems) is that because I live in the U.S., where so many jobs are only available through "connections" people have, I may have to accept work I morally disagree with to become successful. I do not want to support a military-industrial apparatus that kills people in foreign countries for financial gain. I wish the opportunities provided me in my own life were not provided to me on this basis. However, I also don't want to be broke, unable to provide, and unaccomplished in life.

I am struggling as hard as I can to create opportunities for myself outside of this industry, but the sad matter is, I may not be able to find work doing something I see as being morally and socially responsible. I might have "opportunities" awaiting me in any number of alphabet-soup defense agencies and quasi-private organizations, but most (if not all) of those opportunities seem somewhat corrupt, if not completely bankrupt of any moral character.

Thanks for posting your thread. I wouldn't have told you my genuine problems had I not thought you would provide a genuine response.

Hi, 9220. Is your resume tied in with the government jobs, or do you have experience in another field?

That happened to me too, in '09. The day BEFORE valentine's day. And I had already bought the presents and everything, lol.

Now in retrospect, it kind of seems funny in a "how could anything get worse" kind of way.

But I 've come to the conclusion that Valentine's Day brings that out. Think about it - this is the only public day where couples are compelled, maybe even forced, to be "intimate" with one another. I think when couples are already experiencing problems in their relationship, this feeling of being compelled to be intimate with the person you may not be feeling so intimate with may bring all these issues to a head. Well, that's my take on it.

Either way, it's like any other breakup - even a long-term one. Time heals all wounds. You'll meet someone else so just try to keep it together in the meantime.

I have experience working in both the public and private sector. The problem is, my parents have connections to various charities, law/policy firms, and government agencies - ALL of which are heavily, heavily involved on the "wrong" side of the issue as I see it.

Just to give a couple (private and public) examples:

1) an employment law firm in town here advocates loosening restrictions on the type of background checks employers can perform on potential employees. I, on the other hand, am a very big believer in the idea that once a person has served their sentence, that person has repaid his/her debt to society, and shouldn't be (unreasonably) harassed thereafter... I would have to be a foot-soldier in championing this cause basically...

2) the FBI would almost certainly like me. I'm in good shape, have no record, and my parents were both FBI themselves. But I have heard a lot about police tactics and a LOT of other funny business that goes on in that agency to make me turn my tail and run...

So, what I have done for the last two years is work for an environmental law firm, and I really like that work. And no, it wasn't Greenpeace or anything like that. This law firm represented a lot of different people - industries accused of polluting, environmental groups accusing industries of polluting, individual people pollutingand everything in between. I like that work because it exposes me to a bunch of things in the world, I learn a lot, but mostly because I've helped quite a few people in the time I have worked there. People of all types, so there's a balance there that's respectable (despite lawyers' best efforts to make their profession less respectable, of course).

That's the work I would like to do - but unfortunately, the ground is shrinking beneath my feet. The firm I work for laid one of its attorneys off last summer, and that seems to be the typical direction most firms nationwide are going... :(

But I'm sorry I went into a little speech lol. You might not have been going in the direction I went at all... :) If you disagree about my "beliefs" that's fine, I'm more just interested in getting any practical advice I can get (and also to vent).

It's all good, no need to apologize.

I worked in law offices, myself. Hmmm...is there any chance you'd be willing to relocate from where you are? Maybe strike out in a different area of the country, or send out resumes and see if there is an interest? If you have some good solid experience, might be worth a shot, if you have the means. May make you feel a little "distanced" too from your family's connections, is it a possibility for you, or is relocation off the table?

I completely open to relocating. I've lived in my home state near my parents too long as it is... perhaps that's part of the problem. :)

I think relocation might be the way to go, then, if you can swing it. Maybe start investigating some cities you might like, and poke around there a bit? Perhaps a trip or two to a place that looks promising, before committing, just to get a feel for the area?

That's definitely the plan. I've been searching far and wide for something away from my parents. In fact, they've been wondering why I'm not hitting up all their connections during the past few months, and it's mainly been for the reason you described - because I've been working outside of their backyard.

Thanks so much for your help - it really helps to have someone confirm that I can live my own life and make my own decisions, and not just follow-the-parents, so to speak. A lot of people I know, even my friends, look at me like I'm crazy when I suggest that my number one goal isn't to capitalize on all the wonderful "opportunities" I could have through my parents.

My parents are great and have introduced me to many people I'm happy to know going forward. But I'm also different from them and have different beliefs about things, and it's not possible for me to follow them into the same careers that appeal to them personally.

I'll be searching far and wide, so wish me luck! And thanks again.

When a parent dies, we suddenly realize that 'half of ourself' has gone on before us to the Next Condition.

I look at it as though my Mother has simply gone on ahead of me around a corner that I cannot see around yet. All in due time, as I follow along the course of life behind her, I too will eventually make my way to see her again.

The death of a parent causes us to realize that one of the two people on earth who would have willingly given her life for me, is no longer here.

It is natural and healthy to miss one's parents after they have gone on ahead of us.

Yea ... I just broke up with my girl on VDay. Her drinking just got so bad. coming home at 4 AM 5days a week is ridiculous at 28 years old. Anyway, hang tight it definitely gets better!

I was feeding a cat and it was happy for awhile, then somebody ran over it so I took it and layed it on the side of the road by where everybody sits in their cars in line waiting to pick up their spawn, so they could enjoy watching and smelling it decompose.

Just today, I saw two irritating chicks power walking and one of them yelps "What is that smell???!!!"
I should have hollered, "Rotten pussy!"