Week Five: The End of the World
Repent!
My week:
One of my friends recently sent me an Atlantic article about how “The Job Market is Frozen.” Even though unemployment is low, we have the lowest hiring rates since the Great Recession. The article goes on to expound how the situation is especially bad for young college graduates, saying, “Since 2022, this group has experienced a higher unemployment rate than the overall workforce for the first sustained period since at least 1990. That doesn’t change the fact that college graduates have significantly better employment prospects and higher earnings over their lifetime. It does, however, mean that young college graduates are struggling much more than the headline economic indicators would suggest.”
And that article doesn’t even mention federal funding cuts!
Well, it seems that the verdict is in: I have graduated college at the worst possible time in human history.
Obviously, I'm joking.
That article was quite validating, I won’t lie. It has been hard for me to find work. Even beachside boutiques are avoiding hiring because of federal funding cuts, so I’ve been stymied by elite institutions and fast food restaurants alike. It does sort of feel like the world is conspiring against me, like this is a uniquely terrible time to be me. But when I think about it, I’m pretty sure there are always articles coming out explaining how right now (whenever that might be) is actually a terrible time to be alive.
Doesn’t it always feel like the end of the world? I mean, the Pandemic certainly felt that way. And in 2016, everyone was saying it was the worst year on the books. In 2012, people literally thought that armageddon was coming, as per the Mayan calendar. Going back beyond my personal recollections, we have The Great Recession, Y2K, stagflation, etc. Not to mention wars (cold or otherwise), natural disasters, or plagues. There’s always something unprecedentedly bad going on.
I wonder if humans are predisposed to feel like the end is nigh. I mean, we’re always predicting apocalypses. In The Books of Jacob, which I’ve referenced before, Olga Tokarczuk details the Frankist Movement, an 18th century Jewish-ish cult based on the idea that the messiah had come to bring the end of the world as we know it.
It’s nothing new to think that the world is ending, that things are so uniquely bad in this exact moment that it’s all bound to come crashing down. The Frankists were thinking it in the 1700s (and, to their credit, I would much rather be alive now than then), and they certainly were not the first.
Of course, nowadays we are all very rational, and it’s gauche to scream that the sky is falling. But I wonder if we’re still telling the same story in a slightly subtler way. I can’t even tell you how many articles I’ve read that call something “the worst _____ since _____.” Why are we so obsessed with the idea of “the worst”?
Now, I should mention, this particular article I’m talking about is pretty measured, and it doesn’t really cry wolf. And, actually, I do think it’s harder than usual to find a job right now. But I also think that it’s always hard to find a job, or an apartment, or to broker peace, or to be alive. And I know that my personal circumstances are quite fortunate.
It’s easy to look at my friends who have jobs secured and feel jealous, but that takes away all the hard work they already did. And they worked really really hard to find jobs. They served their time, now it’s my turn.
Nevertheless, the draw to catastrophize is strong. Maybe it’s some vestigial survival instinct, trying to keep us vigilant? You should always feel like a saber tooth tiger is about to snap your neck? I don’t know.
I’m confident that everything will work out, more or less, and that nobody will be eaten by a saber tooth tiger. I don’t think (I really don’t!) that it’s the end of the world.
Now, onto the food! I’m excited for this part; I had a busy week!
What I made:
Tofu stir fry: I made this tofu!!! I made it out of red lentils! It used to be lentils, then I turned it into tofu! Then, I used it in a stir fry! It was pretty good, and actually really easy to make. This type of tofu is Burmese tofu, which is different from Chinese tofu. It has a different taste (although it’s still quite neutral) and a different texture, almost crumbly. You can still cook it just like Chinese tofu, and I would say it’s about the same firmness as extra-firm tofu you’d buy in the grocery store. Plus, you don’t have to pat it dry or anything! It was tasty, and it was really cool to know I had made the tofu myself! Yay! I would totally do this again.
Stuffed shells: These were delish! I’ve heard some feedback that they look a little Freudian, but I think that’s unfounded. They kept well and were relatively easy to make, although it’s a bit tedious to fill the shells one by one. I’d probably make this again, but I’m not married to this recipe in particular.
Sweet potato gnocchi with parsley pesto: This was one of the best dinners I’ve made so far! It was really delicious and filling. It was especially good with some parmesan cheese. I will say, it was a lot of work. It took about three hours, start to finish (admittedly, one of those hours was completely passive while the sweet potatoes were baking). It’s pretty cool to eat a meal where you made every element yourself, and especially when it tastes this good! However, this is definitely not a “whip something up for dinner” type thing. I would reserve this for special occasions, or for when I’m feeling fancy.
Three bean chili: Pretty good! The corn is a nice touch. A very respectable vegetarian chili. We had it with baked potatoes, but I forgot to take a picture!
What I learned:
It’s important to stir pasta as it cooks.
Food processors are kind of a pain to use.
It’s important not to panic when cooking. I almost ditched my pesto when I added too much pasta water, but my mom talked some sense into me. It was delicious, and all we had to do was use a slotted spoon to serve the gnocchi, to let the excess water escape.
I’ve been having fun finding more adventurous recipes. It makes cooking more interesting when I am genuinely excited to see how something is going to turn out.
I used a slow cooker for the first time, and I don’t think I'm the target audience. Given that I don’t work right now, it’s barely more convenient than making dinner in the evening; it just means I have to do all the cooking in the morning instead. But I could imagine it being a very useful tool once I finally get a job!
It’s all going to be ok—even when saber tooth tigers (try to) bite you 🐯