Melissa McWilliams

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Update pt. II: After a few more months' working, exploration of self knowledge (soul searching, if you will), and talking with coworkers and a couple of friends, I've decided to trade security for freedom; in other words, I decided to quit working foodservice, retail, etc. and try my hand as a full-time freelancer. I figured that the 20-30 hours I spent making minimum wage, doing absolutely nothing of importance or value (which, frankly, was humiliating), could be infinitely better spent investing in my business. Being a "nobody" employee did have its advantages, though: I learned a lot about customer service, was able to bring in steady pay and build my savings, and also saw firsthand the very position in life I didn't want to end up in, under any circumstance. Even since I wrote the post above, I've gained a LOT of self respect, which I didn't possess before. I'm almost to the end of day one of no longer being on a payroll, and it feels good. I'll post another update within a few months.

Thank you so much!

If this is what you're getting at, then I am of the opinion that "age is just a number." However, it is generally safe to assume that a 30-y/o has more life experience than a 20-y/o; and in a circumstance such as this, that 10-year seniority seems like it can be exploited as a leverage for power and dominance by the bully (especially if his victim is weak to begin with). No a psychologist...just a lifelong victim (who refuses to be any longer) of this sort of social bullshit. (The woman I mentioned above who bullied me was 10 years older than I, interestingly enough.) Take it FWIW.

In my opinion, the last thing you should do is keep taunting and provoking this guy, because that's exactly what he wants; but it already seems too late-- as you've escalated this into a physical altercation. Even if you kick his ass the first time, what makes you think this will "end" things? Why wouldn't he come back to get you in any way he can? Beyond middle school (and even then), anyone who chooses to pick on another is outwardly showing their complete lack of testicular fortitude. They are taking time out of their day to put on a facade of toughness, cause problems, and attempt to bring out the worst in others-- in order to inspire confidence within themselves. Tell this to yourself, and move on.

"For some perspective I'm 20 and he is 30." What a fucking loser that guy is...to pick on someone a decade younger than himself. In my experience, bullies are like storms that blow themselves out. Over the course of their sorry-ass lives, their consciences deep down will bother them-- perhaps when they're older they'll spend the rest of their lives in deep, agonizing regret for their actions-- or if not, then eventually they will alienate themselves and die empty, hated and alone. I told this to myself every day I had to work with an ex-coworker of mine. She was a fat, 20-something, poorly-tattooed nobody who loved to try and bully me (the youngest one in the workplace). I just laughed at her every time she insulted me, hit me, etc, and moved on, but she was persistent. One particularly bad day of mine, she picked up on my frustration and took up the opportunity to really try and get me down. After some jabs (which I ignored), she said to me, "You're so fucking slow. And you mixed up this and that. Can't you do anything right? You look like this is your first job or something!" To which I responded: "It is... and you're working it too." One day she cracked a few remarks with the manager within earshot. She got a write-up. The next week she tried to attack another coworker, and, inevitably, she got her ass fired.

Still kickin'!

Update: You guys rock!! Thank you so much for your help and your encouraging words. Since I made this posting, I've gotten (and almost outgrown) my first "real" job; it's not much, just working away as a line cook at a slapdash BBQ joint for $225 in a good week-- but it's definitely something. I've also built and grown my own businesses, Riflemans Cadence (pro-liberty online merchandise store) and Wingspan Graphics (custom logos & graphics design). Again, all this sweat and all these long, sleepless nights bring in a grand total of $1.6-2k/mo, and that's not easy to live on...but it's getting me somewhere: it's paid off my car already (which will take off a big burden), and since I'm still living with my parents, all my income except gas, insurance and Dollar Tree supplies is going straight into my savings. I aim to get hired as a hostess at a nice restaurant (as it's illegal for me to waitress at a place that serves alcohol until I turn 18...don't get me started or so help me I'll go on another full bore anti-State rant) or, better yet, get hired by a local print shop, within this next couple months. I'll work that like a fiend until I can move out and transfer to an even better paying job, living on my two businesses and the $20k I aim to save up (I'm at $11k now) while I'm moving and between jobs. I'm also heading out of CA and into OR, where it's much less expensive to live. While I can't be 100% certain that I'm on the right track (and not being well supported by my parents from whom I will probably de-FOO, though that's another talk for another time), I'm confident, hopeful, happy and open to any advice anybody might wish to offer me. Thanks again, everyone!

I heard Joe Rogan promoting Squarespace too. Looked up & it seems pretty good. That said, as far as the logo creator goes, I highly recommend staying far, FAR away from premade or "clipart" logos (not because I'm paid to make the real deal )-- but because they're already being used elsewhere, by other companies; who knows how many. As a temporary solution, I'd say go for it-- but if you plan to use it as a permanent mark of your brand, it looks cheap and can cause problems down the road.

You're very welcome! I actually don't know how much Kim charges, since she happily accepted logo designs for her business and her son's website as payment for our project. I'd contact her for a quote and see what she can do for you. Thank you! Yep, I'm a graphics designer (and I love it); my specialty is custom logo design. iPage looks great; if somewhere down the road I end up wanting to switch from HostGator, I'll give these guys a try. You're very welcome! I'm a website newbie myself (hell, I don't even know what an IP address is, or exactly what ".com" is supposed to mean). I'm among the generation who has grown up perfectly accustomed to all this incredible technology; it must be a trip to see how far science has advanced in just a few years.

I recommend Wordpress all the way. It's an incredibly powerful and versatile platform; you won't believe how amazing it is. It does take a while to learn, and any website (I've found) requires a LOT of security measures against bored punks. For that reason, I highly recommend you contact Kim from CrunchyData-- she specializes in creating & mantaining great Wordpress sites, and is a friend of liberty, too. Kim has worked with me extensively on my website, and I love how it's turning out. Also, I highly recommend using HostGator for both domain purchasing and hosting. I'm currently paying them ~$12/yr for my domain name (and will pay an extra $10/yr for each additional domain I purchase), and only $9.99/mo for hosting with their "Baby" plan (the hosting will cover all domains you wish to add on). They have a free email service too, though it's a little dated and clunky. One last thing: before you jump in, I highly recommend you watch this YouTube video on how to make a wordpress site. It's slow to watch, but it's worth the time.

Agreed with the other guys. I make most of my living off graphics design, and the purpose of my site is to bring in high quality business. When I see ads on another designer's website, it tells me one of two things: I am not a successful designer and need to rely upon scraping up pennies from occasional ad leads to others' businesses. I am a successful designer but am willing to sacrifice my professional aesthetic image and my clients' tastes to rake in a tiny amount of extra money.