Shaky times lead to shaky conclusions. I get it: if you graduated from Yale and still don't have a job a few months later, then it makes sense to look in the mirror and ask, What's wrong with this image? Because, you know, you're entitled to the oyster called 'the world' now. Unfortunately, the reflected color of one's skin seems to be the first stopgap to any kind of real self-reflection.
Looking for a job, having an interview, wondering why you never heard back from prospects after meeting them? Common. Second-guessing your resume and taking out any "flaky" sounding associations (editor of the literary magazine, associate member of American PEN)? Check. Wondering if you shouldn't have mentioned that your husband is a fireman (too civil service-y?), or that you plan to start a family (whoa! big mistake), or that you read The New York Times every day (possible Commie)? Yup.
In the middle of the night, I might fall victim to the bristling thought that it's-because-I'm-a-woman, or that-suit-makes-me-look-like-a-nun, or man-I-still-really-sound-like-I'm-from-Brooklyn. But then I wake up in the morning and see the light. Times are tough. Stop looking for reasons to be a victim.
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