ARCNO**(give me a beat)

I know I know. It's been a long time since I have updated and my 7 or so readers have been complaining (not). I haven't found any reason to update even though there have been many hilarious moments in my life.

I started this summer looking for a job I put a good solid 2 weeks of effort, I was offered a few jobs but seeing as im lazy I turned a lot of things down. I was yelled at by principals and swindled by other people but my spirits were still high. After one eventful day I heard about a job for social activism. I immediately started thinking of how my autobiography would go..."For a while I was a social activist, I helped bring about change in third world countries while also bringing the gift of laughter to young impoverished children." Apparently though I was headed for the surprise of my lifetime when I actually became a social activist.

This organization is pretty well known, they have offices around the country and for the most part are a decent well thought out organization which fights for communities. ARCNO* started working with Project Election* which was supposed to register people to vote around different cities. The first meeting/ (job interview) they basically explained the entire process to us and to weed out anyone who really didn't want to do this. We were there for 3 hours and as the head of Project Election* had scared us by telling us we needed 20 voter registration cards or we'd be fired, we needed to be outgoing or we'd be fired, we needed to be heartless or we'd be fired... you get the drift. I should have taken that first warning sign and ran far far away.

So I went from social activist to canvaser. The first day I was really unprepared, I brought water and sunscreen and that was it. They gave me a clipboard, sent me with 3 other people to a seemingly safe part of town. The first few minutes of my new job were glorious! I ended up getting 2 people to register, after hearing horror stories of going hours without one person I felt as if I could do this job. Some people were nice and other people were assholes but I guess that was to be expected. The first day I ended up getting 15 voter registration cards with only 3 that were unusable. Which was pretty good, I came home burnt, with a bit of sun stroke but I was enthusiastic. To my horror the next day was the straw that broke the camels back.

I was prepared the next day to do better, I brought a backpack, I had everything you'd need to be a hobo in my city. Apparently because I was bilingual my boss thought it would be hilarious and productive if he sent me to the downtown bus station. I went with 2 other people and off we went. Within the first 20 minutes of work I was able to coax a young man into registering to vote, he told me with a stern face "IF I DONT GET MY FAVORITE SEAT ON THE BUS IM GOING TO BE REALLY ANGRY" so I hoped for my sake (and his) he got his god damn favorite seat. I encountered people who did not understand why they had to put a zip code. I would calmly explain that we needed a zip code to send the card in the mail but in my head I would wonder how exactly these people were surviving in society.

I then met an older gentleman who refused to register to vote. Seeing as im the type of person who wants to know why exactly one doesn't want to vote I pestered him for a hot minute. He saw my enthusiasm and decided to tell me exactly why he doesn't want to vote.
1. The government doesn't care about him.
-- He had the word GUILTY tattooed on his neck and said the government gave him a bad rap, he was being judged unfairly.
2. He had 3 felonies he wondered how many until you can't vote. I told him 1 felony wasn't enough but 3 was too many. Then I laughed nervously, because you should definitely make fun of a guy in a makeshift alleyway in the middle of the day when he out weighs you by 300 lbs.

However instead of making me into a fabulous skin suit he decided to ask about me and what I was doing with my life. I told him that I was still in school and hopefully going to law school. His eyes lit up and with a serious face he asks me if I would ever defend him (in case of course he wants to have 4 felonies, after 6 felonies you get a free hat) I told him sure but I wouldn't be a lawyer for a few years but to look me up. To which he wrote down my name and the next time he was in trouble he'd ask for me.

Most people would have ran but I decided of all the possibilities I could encounter by walking the streets with the cities most interesting people. Of course on the inside I was dying but I lied to myself and said I could do it.

I encountered many ex cons who would flash me a sly grin and say "sorry mami I have a record" and as unfortunate as this sounds, they all look the same, neck tattoos and a distaste for law enforcement. The best part of my job was the hobos, or as one of them said "in transition individuals". Surprisingly a lot of hobos had addresses...and drivers licenses...but thats another story. I did have a few "crazy hobos" tell me I was pretty and ask me if I'd like to go on a date with them. The thought crossed my mind I wont lie but unfortunately I denied most of their advances.

By the end of the day I was emotionally drained and definitely suffering from sun stroke. My asthma was acting up and when I enthusiastically told my mom about the awesome people I had encountered she had to talk me out of going back to work. I explained to her that the streets had called out my name and this was my calling she threw aloe vera on me and told me to go to bed.

Social activist one day, unemployed college student the next.


** names have been changed...because I don't want to get sued.