Hope Solo

Hope springs eternal, that is what is said. It always seems to be said by those in no need of Hope or those who are trying to bring cheer to the heavy heart. I have no doubt, in fact I know that Hope does spring eternal, but just once in a while I wish it wouldn't. Not because I yearn for the day when I am a hopeless being with no interest in the future and an unhealthy obsession with the past, but because Hope can be cruel, like a cruel summer without the catchy melody. It all starts with the daily application for a job that will rock my world.

"Dear Sir/Madam/Gargoyle/Professional whose reply button has been deleted". It's pretty alarming how quickly a Gargoyle came into play here but I imagine many of my applications have fallen on the desk of the stoney faced ones. Maybe one day the wind will catch said application and bring it to the feet of Quasimodo who will take pity and inspire Hope in one fell swoop and I will be Head of Marketing at Disney's Mingers Model Agency. I digress, the usual turn of things is that the application is sent and then I sit back and let Hope take hold.

It grabs me by the scruff of the neck, the seat of my pants, the cuffs on my sleeves and the soles of my shoes. Hope sends me to a magical world where I have aced not one but two interviews and am now sitting at my new desk, surrounded by my new colleagues, wondering where the stationary cabinet is (I've always wanted to work in an office where the stationary cabinet is on wheels). I am doing all the things specified in my job spec, and more. After work drinks, the tag rugby, Christmas parties, the banter at the water cooler are all part and parcel of a job that challenges me to push myself to my limits, and I love it!

In any missing persons search they say the first 48 hours are crucial. I take the same approach to the job search. Once the first 48 hours is up the Hope fades, the dream dies and another office is without its movable stationary cabinet. I've experimented with applying for jobs I don't want, just to see if hope leaves me be. Not at all, Hope sees it as a bloody stepping stone to something bigger and better.

Maybe the job application process would be better done naked, that way Hope would have a harder time grabbing me by the scruff of my neck, the seat of my pants... you get the idea. Nothing better than the idea of me naked at my laptop to brighten the day, and scare off Hope!