Always stepping in a pile of Sh*t

Do you ever get that feeling that in other people lives, everything always goes there way, but for you everything seems to be going wrong?

I frequently get that feeling.
And my mother has a phrase for it.

"Some people just step in whipped cream their whole lives, while the rest of us keep stepping in sh*t."

Gosh I love that phrase, and I love her.  Although sometimes, knowing that you're always going to step in sh*t is not the right way to look at your schedule, achievements, and goals.  If we all knew we were always going to step in sh*t, then why not quit while we're ahead?

Laughter and patience are the cures that typically wash the sh*t off of my shoes, I've found.

The angry, impatient monster in me emerged one Sunday morning when I trailed a sh*tty road while I was studying abroad in Florence, Italy.  This monster had made an appearance or two at home with my family, and unfortunately arrived again during my time in Europe, when nothing is as simple as driving in my car to obtain exactly what I need in a flash.  While abroad, it seemed as though you needed an entire week to accomplish one task as simple as buying blankets, a full-length mirror, and some wine glasses.
        My roommate Milena and I attempted to make a trip to purchase these items early one morning following a night that included too much wine and not enough sleep.  We got to the bus station, and asked the driver if we were about to board the shuttle bus to IKEA (E-kay-yah, as the Italians pronounce it).  He nodded, "si," and we boarded the bus that ended up taking us for a tour around Florence for 45 minutes rather than to IKEA.  We grunted at the driver as we got off the bus and made our way IKEA via taxi (20 euros later), even though somehow we could have gotten there by free shuttle bus.  When we arrived, there was nothing but more aggravation with crowds of slow-walking, fast-speaking Italians and their annoying children.  We were in the store for far longer than necessary due to the language barrier between we American girls and the rude, unhelpful IKEA employees.  When we finally escaped the knock-down furniture scene, we waited another 45 minutes for the shuttle bus to arrive.  Tears started to streak down Milena's cheeks as she and I both realized this abroad experience came with a lot of sh*t.  We got off the bus to carry our heavy purchases back to the apartment.  I joined Milena in the waterworks project, and walked into a quiet apartment of sleeping, serene roommates who would soon wake to new wine glasses (that they never paid us back for). Whipped cream.  Milena and I filled those wine glasses quickly, stuffed our sorrows with cheese, and climbed into bed for a nap.  We awoke with clearer minds and something to ultimately laugh about.  There was nothing else to do but laugh at all this sh*t.  We laughed and laughed through our aggravation (with some more help from Mr. Gorgonzola, of course).

Another step-in-sh*t encounter occurred last summer, when I was ready for my first public relations internship.  I was ready to finally have some hands-on experience in the field, but no employers were ready for inexperienced me.  I created a killer resume, wrote a dozen cover letters, and called multiple agencies only to be told each time that I needed to WAIT.  This waiting quickly turned into rejection and disappointment.  I have so much to offer, and so much passion for what I want to do, but no employer could see beyond the lack of experience that appeared on my resume.  I applied so early to internship programs, and to such competitive companies that I set myself up to step in sh*t.  My patience had run dry, until my cousin Rebecca put me in contact with her Marist alumni colleague at the Providence-Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau.  The opportunity came at such short notice, but it was such a rewarding, great experience that enhanced my passion for the tourism sector of PR.  I perfected my writing, research, and interpersonal skills with the help of the wonderful people in this organization.  If I had had more confidence and patience during the application process, I wouldn't have experienced the doo-doo on my shoes at all.  This summer, I am again anxiously awaiting feedback from the organizations I've applied to.  But with the help of a little more patience than last summer, I have my first interview set up and my eyes on the whipped cream!

I came to also realize that you're never stepping in sh*t alone.  There are a million other people who have gotten on the wrong bus or have been rejected by multiple companies.  That's life sometimes, a pile of sh*t.  And when the whipped cream finally arrives, will be much more respected and deserved by those who don't constantly walk in it.