No no, not writer’s block for the blog. I can always write here. Especially when I’m putting off other things. Like right now. I’ve got writer’s block for the cover letter that I’ve been trying to write for the last four or more hours. Of course, when it comes to helping other people with their cover letters and their CVs and preparing for interviews, I’m kind of brilliant. But when I have to write my own cover letter? For a job I really really think could be great for me? And I could be great for it? Painful. I write, hate what I wrote, erase, pause… think… write something else, hate it again, erase again, and another pause… During which time I let myself get totally distracted by email or passersby or the interwebs or… SKYPE! So then I do that for, you know, a while, until finally my guilty and nagging conscience drags me back to the work at hand. And then I’m staring at the page again, and I have to go back and repeat this whole painful process all over.
So now I need to digress for a minute and just say how much I love Skype. Why? Probably because it’s my current favorite distraction, and we know how I get excited by my current favorite novelties. But also because it makes me feel like Becky and Laura and Pat and my parents and a variety of other friends are RIGHT THERE! Like when I see the green check mark I can just reach out and give them a little poke. A little “hey! how’s your day!” or “hey! corporate finance sucks!” or “hey! I miss you!” Pat tends to leave his Skype open, so I’ve taken to leaving little notes during the day–I think of it like leaving post-its for him, and he’ll see my note, you know, whenever he gets back to his computer. And THEN, when there’s time and space and all the stars align (as they tend to on Sunday nights, in my parents’ case) there’s the VIDEO call feature! I mean, I’m pretty happy with a bit of text chatting from time to time (or, erm, most days, whatever), but it’s soooo much cooler to have a virtual face-to-face. And it’s FREE!! Seriously, I love it. I mean, chatting with Laura and Becky when I’m spacing out during class is in NO way like meeting them at the JJ for a drink and a real conversation, but… it’s totally helping me to not miss them so very very terribly. Makes it seem like not such a big deal that we’re so freaking far away from each other. (Clearly I’m a latecomer to the wide world of chatting online, but I really really love it. Obviously.) All this to say, ye family and friends: jump on the bandwagon! C’mon! You, too, can contribute to my poor study habits!!
Well, that was a fun little digression. But I really really should write that cover letter. More precisely, I have to write two for tomorrow, and there’s another half-written one hanging in the balance for next week. I just keep coming up with lame-o crap that basically sounds like “I’m good at stuff! And things! And things and stuff! And I’m REALLY excited about this opportunity! Really! Because stuff is good!” And then I wrinkle my nose, shake my head, frown at my poor computer as though it’s my computer’s fault that I can’t craft a compelling cover letter, and then I erase and go back to zero. Rinse and repeat. Ergh. The ridiculous thing is that I can pretty well articulate why this is a good job for me OUT LOUD, but when it comes to the cover letter? It’s a sad, scary blank page. That is currently mocking me with it’s half-blankness. (I have got a bit on the page that has not yet been axed. Yet.) Nothing worse than being taunted by a half-blank page. It’s just not very motivating…
Oh! Hey! One more digression: Happy Valentine’s Day, family and friends!! I’m actually pretty glad to be in a country that doesn’t really actually celebrate it, for what should be fairly obvious reasons. (Not a very good day for the chronically and relentlessly and seemingly eternally single, y’know?) Of course, there’s a school party to celebrate tomorrow night where I get to advertise my singleness by wearing a green (as in “GO FOR IT! I’m available! yay! …now buy me a drink!”) sticker. I mean, I could lie, and wear a red sticker, but I think all of my classmates are pretty clear that I’m not seeing anyone. So, yeah. Going to a party where I can tell everyone that no, indeed, I do NOT have a valentine this year. Or last year. Or the year before that. Or… well, you get it. Amazing that a basically made-up holiday can have such an impact on the psyche. So it was cool that today was, you know, basically a day like any other. But I hope all of YOU are enjoying it, anyway!
Gah! Okay! Enough procrastinating. I’ve gotta go and take care of that effing blank page now. Curses.
Totally understandable. You are blocked because it counts!
One strategy — you have to step out of yourself. Two ways to do it: (1) write it like a letter of recommendation for yourself, and then switch it to first person when you are done, or (2) write it completely naturally and messily, going from Spanish to English if needed, but generally just say what you want to say and how you want to say it.
When done with either option, translate it into letter-of-recommendation talk.
Good luck. Thinking of you and love you!
Jac, your 2000 Spring Break Ben and Jerry’s buddy!
an ode-to-skype haiku:
post-it notes abound
green check marks for all my friends
oh glorious skype
I must get Skype! I was a horrible blog reader so I’ve had a lot to catch up on with your blog but your adventures make me smile and I’m so happy to hear how wonderfully amazing (and crazy) things are for you there! I love you!