What grates me about summer

One of my friends told me last night that a bunch of his friends had snagged the key to his campus's dorms and that they were going to spend the night there instead of in their apartments. Another one of my friends is spending his days helping his mother and my old drama teacher with their theatre camp for children. Another one of my friends is spending the summer as a counselor at a Boy Scout camp in Iowa. My sister is spending the summer working and hanging out with friends.

I had the chance at a job this summer. I was training to be a server at Red Robin. Training was excruciating; after every four-hour session I felt like I'd actually worked twice as long. It was great.

But certification rolled around yesterday. The long of the short of it is that I was given my own section, and I failed to supply my "Guests" (yes, it's capitalized 100% of the time) the "gift of time," and so I have to hand my shirt in on the Fourth of July. I spent $42 on a pair of non-slip shoes for the job. I didn't get to keep any of my own tips. Technically, I didn't have any of my own tables, so all of the tips people gave me went to the person who didn't wait on the tables. I'll receive a check when I hand my shirt in for all the hours I put in to training. The $51 is going to be spectacular, especially once expenditures are factored in. I don't have the chance to find another job this summer. It's already nearing the end of June.

Most, if not all, of my friends are able to go out and do something during the day, and a good number of them are doing things that they want to do. They have the chance to live for themselves, to do the things that they enjoy. I don't get to enjoy the same privileges. I sit at home every day and do next to nothing all day. I don't have the opportunity to live for myself. I just sit here, bored, and there's nothing I can do about it.