Sometimes, I see a position on Craigslist and mail it to myself for future consideration. Usually, that means either: a) I have something I'd rather or have to do at the moment; or, b) I'm not sure I want to put in the effort at all. Better to sit on it for a bit than: a) Throw out something that doesn't meet my standards; or b) act out of desperation trying to join an endeavor that would not be a good fit.
Today's case involved a, "fund development assistant," position nor a non-profit. I reject both the term and acronym for, "non-governmental organization." Why? Simply this - why add letters and syllables to a term everyone understands and is self-defining. I'm sure it all started out with some idiot who thought he (and I use the gender intentionally) made himself look more important by doing it. There's a lot of that in the non-profit world, in my experience led by people who couldn't succeed in business or government but who are adept at reading the latest how-to-succeed-without-really-trying articles. Books, you see, take too much effort for them.
Oh, my goodness. I just reread that paragraph and realize that I continue to harbor some bitterness about working for the American Red Cross. I had fun there, learned some, chalked up some notable successes (like working with the health staff to fill the void in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training booklet when the national Red Cross couldn't get its act together to catch up with the latest recommendations of the standard-bearer Journal of the American Medical Association). What turned me off was when, in the beginning years of the AIDS epidemic, our chapter director wanted me to do a needs assessment on the subject. Not, mind you, the needs of AIDS victims. Nope. On whether or not it would somehow alienate our existing donor base to work on, "The Gay Issue."
I've also referred to being able to read the sometimes not-so-subtle cues from job announcements about primarily racial preferences. None of those being Caucasian. Or wanting someone really young. I have no problem with the latter, what with sharing my job seeking experience at the moment with my twenty-something niece, Nat. But still. Why tilt at windmills.
The organization advertising this fund development assistant had all the ear markings of being selective in a way that wouldn't involve me. On looking at the website, though, I saw white faces and gray hair. There's hope! It is a "cause" I can get behind, too - building low-income housing in the East Bay.
And, just to liven things up visually, here's my cactus/succulent/bonsai garden. I can putter there without end (see the first "a)" above).
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