Occupy Wall Street: These are the days of our lives.

I'm not going to pretend like I know all the details about the Occupy Wall Street et al. happenings. I'm not going to say that all the people involved know what they are talking about; because, lets face it, some of them are crazy and honestly have no clue what's going on. And quite honestly, as much as we or they or anyone thinks they know.. there is a lot going on that no one has any clue about. But, I care about this movement.

I care because I was told by everyone (yes, everyone) that I should continue with my education after high school and get a college degree. I was told a 4 year degree would give me the world, I would have a job and eventually a house and a life in which I could be at least relatively comfortable and financially stable. I would have an education which would make me a value to the workplace, more likely to find a job because I had worked hard for 4 to 6 years studying and filling my brain with all sorts of information to help me get along in the real world. But now after graduation I have around $30,000 (and climbing) in debt and I work as a waitress. Most of the positions I came across in my search just before graduation and afterward were looking for people with 5-7 years professional experience in the area and there were very few entry level positions available. Granted, I have stopped looking because of the current immigration status I am in, but the few places I sent my resume and letters of interest to never called or even emailed me back. My resume isn't horrible by any means. I had decent grades, especially in my major classes, I interned/volunteered for a non-profit radio station, I was a member of and held an office position in our PRSSA chapter. But this is becoming the norm now. People I went to school with who have much better resumes than I also still haven't found a job within their field. Even people with teaching degrees who were under the impression that their type of work is valued and needed. THERE ARE NO JOBS. If I had known that I would have been more valuable as a construction worker or welder, I would have done that. Starting in a few short weeks I am supposed to start paying this debt back, only 6 months after graduation. It's been this way for years, giving students a bit of time to find a decent job before having to pay back the money they borrowed for the education we were told we had to get in order to become a decent American citizen. So thanks for that, America. I will now be unemployed, living in a different country, stretching my husbands income as far as it goes so I can pay back the loans I took from you to give you the statistics that look good in the books.

I care because people who have been working for the same company for 10, 20, 30 or even sometimes 40 years are getting laid off or forced out of their jobs because the company they work for can't seem to come up with a contract agreement with the union reps or enough money to pay the employees. In the meantime, CEO's and presidents of these companies are getting raises and bonuses and endless stock options so they can continue to live the lavish lifestyles they lead. This isn't just happening in big name corporate companies like Exxon and the like.. It's happening in our own back yard with American Crystal Sugar. The employees have been locked out of their jobs and replaced by temporary workers who know very little of what they are doing because to Crystal Sugar, it doesn't matter who is doing the job as long as it's getting done and they are continuing to make money.

I care because I do not have health insurance (and I'm not even close to the only one.) I just can't afford it, and now that I'm out of college and married I can't be covered by my parent's insurance. If I so much as get an infected in-grown toenail and need a weeks worth of antibiotics it is going to cost me at least $500 for the doctor's visit just to be given a prescription for something I already knew I had. I especially can't afford it now because of those damned student loans I need to pay off so I don't accrue horrible credit deeming me unfit to become a home owner. OBVIOUSLY, I'd rather suffer and possibly die from a small infection than have a bad credit score.

At this point I can not think of a better time to be moving to Canada. It's sort of like I'm doing what everyone says they're going to do each election and running off to Canada to get away from the pit America could has become. I am still proud of where I am from and so thankful to have be given the opportunities I have been given and taken... but this is getting ridiculous. We, as the American people, have been settling for far too long and I'm glad people are finally standing up and using their voices. We need to stand in solidarity together to get something done. It is going to be a long time before we see real change, but I still have faith and believe it will come.