About Jova:
I am an eighteen year old growing up in Michigan. I graduated from highschool in 2007 and I am currently attending a community college for a degree that changes as quickly as the weather.

I am an angry person, as well as occasionally insane and irrational. The benefit is that I can make some passionate pieces, that sometimes work out to my advantage. I am rather obsessed with art, and would make it a career if I could have the reassurance of knowing that I'd have a stable career which produced enough for me to support a potential family. But, they don't call it "starving artists" for nothing. So I might go into Nursing. Who really knows at this point right?

My Journal:

I recently was reading a Reader’s Digest while waiting for my doctor’s appointment. You all know the feeling, the time is half past when you were supposed to be seen, and there’s nothing better to do than read the funnies. If you want to call them that. As I flipped through looking for something to pass the time, I came across an article about prospective employers and their new tactics for finding out more about potential employees. One such tactic is the use of Myspace or Facebook profiles.

Now, to be completely honest, I find that rather cheeky. As I learned, honesty about your current job is a turn off to these watching eyes. Granted there are companies, that after viewing drunken pictures of people aren’t likely to hire said individual. And I do agree, shame on them for being daft enough to post that for the whole world to see. On the other hand, humanity is called such for a reason. Because we are all human. Do not think that I am in any way defending this behavior, I am rather granting myself permission to vent about my current job, as much of a turn off that may be.

Now, I was raised to do my best. Constantly told, that if one slacks, they won’t be given second chances. I try my hardest to give my duties 110%. On the flip side, it does become frustrating when I put forth this much effort, only to be greeted with unappreciative attitudes from my employer.

See, I work food service. It’s about the only option when I’m attempting to put myself through college so that I might move on to bigger and better things. Throughout this experience I have learned that you have to have a high tolerance for bull shit. If you can excuse my language. You come across difficult customers, difficult coworkers, and difficult managers. Just do keep in mind, it isn’t my intention to bad mouth, rather to state how I see things, and my opinion of them.

I can handle the customers. It’s a fact of life. You’re going to come across awful people no matter what your line of work may be. I can handle other employees whom are convinced that this job is still high school, and that rather than making it a pleasant experience for all, it needs to be a cut throat competition. I also can handle high demanding and sometimes irrational bosses. It merely comes with the territory.

What I cannot stand is disrespect. I will admit that it is the quickest way to my temper, which can be a short one. Like I said, I’m human. Let me fill you in on a bit of background information. I was adopted back in August of 2007. Along with this adoption, my name was changed from Ashlee Burns, to Ashlynn Pacino. One of my bosses, I don’t find it necessary to disclose which, continues to call me Ashlee. I have gone by Ash since my freshmen year. This person knows without a doubt that my name isn’t Ashlee, and yet they continue to call me by the wrong name.

Identity is a huge thing. It’s like the coworker you’ve known for three years, and always called Debbie, when the whole time her name was Susan. It’s one thing to accidentally slip up now and then. I can understand that. My mother does it occasionally. Repeated use of the wrong name, with the knowledge that it is incorrect, is a malevolent tactic which is completely unnecessary if one desires a well oiled work team.

I read that honesty is frowned upon when talking about current employers. I honestly have no respect for this person. I do not appreciate purposely being called the wrong name. It shows that they hold absolutely no respect for me as an individual. I especially do not appreciate this behavior after putting forth as much effort as I do to complete my duties to the best of their satisfaction.

If a prospective employer is to read this very public document, and hold against me my opinions, then so be it. They are losing out on a determined worker based on a relevant opinion. I do ask this, would a manager appreciate being called the wrong name on purpose by a subordinate? I would think not. What we all need to remember is that respect must flow between both parties in order to have a properly functioning system. Throw in a rock, and no matter how small, after a while, it all crumples apart.

Lesson being, next time you go to work, take a look at how you treat your coworkers, subordinates, and bosses. Do you show them respect? Do they know your appreciation? Make time to express these things. Small, and seemingly insignificant things such as these may make someone’s day and change their opinion of you and/or their job for the better.

I just hope that my aggressor decides to alter their behavior. I cannot change it for them, in the mean time, all I may do is politely remind them, that my name isn’t Ashlee. And will never be.

End of rant.

I am Ash. And this I will always be. Unless by some stroke of luck I develop Dissociative Identity Disorder. Which I probably just jinxed myself. But hey, it's all good, I might be Sweating Bullets.