So What Are You Doing?

"So what are you doing?"

This question is like a chameleon adapting to its different environments.

After a few too many $1 mug refills, the question is waat r u doign

A quick but efficient T9 word text at work/school is What are you doing?

And the flirtatious inquiry sent electronically or personally is so what are you doing... :) The smiley face is crucial on that one.

But now that damn question is my number one pet peeve.

Extended family, nosey neighbors, friends from high school - everyone and their brother asks me that question. “So what are you doing?” It’s a two part question to gauge my intelligence: a. Did I graduate b. Do I have a job. At first, I did not mind answering this because I was fresh out commencement and eager to share my accomplishments. “Yes! I graduated! And now I have a job!” It sounds good right? That’s what I thought

Now I get pressed to divulge more. What was my major? Communication. I instantly feel the burning, judgey judging eyes. I don’t know how this major, based on the human condition of..oh I don’t know..COMMUNICATING was given a bad rep. I’m not going to point my a finger at the football players wandering in late to class because I did get to work on a project with James Laurinaitis my sophomore year. Perhaps it was the fine ladies of Alpha whathaveyou taking up an entire row and drawing in children’s coloring books during lecture (true story) Whatever the case, communication as an area of study has been deemed unworthy in the eyes of my questioners who have daughters attending Northwestern grad school or have graduated with a doctorate degree themselves. Sure, my classes didn’t involve organic chemistry or engineering projects that kept me awake for 5 straight weeks but don’t we all remember the biblical story of Babel? Just to recap, the plot was that everyone forgot how to communicate with one other and they all DIED (or something like that)

My job brings about another round of furrowed brows. Telling adults that I’m in social media marketing just leaves them dumbfounded and telling colleagues that I’m in social media marketing just leaves them thinking they’ve found dumb. (ha...that was bad) Moving on

Clearly I’m a bit bitter. Maybe it is because I’m struggling with a summer in-between of feeling proud that I’m in adulthood and also incredibly jealous of those still living their college glory days. Or maybe it is because I feel I am being unfairly cast as a girl who sits on facebook all day as her job and has a degree in talking - gold star to you Holly! 4 for you Glenn Cocoa! Or maybe it’s just because I’m on my period and extremely emotional...probs just that.

While I appreciate the people who truly are concerned with my well being and wondering how my life is shaping out, I am just getting sick of being asked all the time. It has become the go-to conversation starter and frankly, I miss the days of the initial “how are you” and then letting my intellect and wit steer the conversation from there. So I’m just going to set the record straight once and for all:

“I graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of the Arts degree from the College of Social and Behavior Sciences with a focus in strategic communication on June 13th, 2010. I am currently residing on campus in a house with five other girls and my lease expires on the second of September. I am working at a start-up digital marketing agency where I am an account manager of several local establishments and the director of online business development for a national company”

Now watt r u doign ??

Hol