Junior Juxtaposition: Pretty Pretty Princess

This summer I got a job working at the call center at the U. Its a simple enough job and it really teaches you how to deal with rejection. I work at the University of Minnesota Foundation which means I call hundreds of alumni and ask them to give back to their Alma Mater. In short, I'm a telemarketer. I get told NO over and over again every time I work and every time I get told NO, I keep asking anyway. And either I get told NO again, or I get hung up on OR if I do my job correctly, I get money tossed at me.

It pays well but its really quite terrible. I don't think you would like to have to pretend to be nice to assholes for hours on end either. I hate to sound pessimistic here but it appears that the majority of individuals I encounter each day are seriously rude people. Attitude check, like who raised you?? These "prospects" (as we call them) are told at the BEGINNING of the call that they are talking to a student. I'm 18 years old! And I am more polite, more tactful and more patient than the 47 year old jerks who I call. Yeah I am asking you for money and yeah I'm persistent and evidently NO I don't care that you just told me that your wife lost her job because I'm supposed to assume that "I don't know your situation", even though you just told me your situation (because you never know, maybe their spouse makes enough money for the BOTH of them.....). Basically, I know I'm asking annoying questions and ignoring all of the legitimate reasons on why you CANT give $50 to student scholarships but really, there is no need to be rude. I'm just trying to do my job.

But the GOOD thing about the job is that I spend the whole time looking through magazines. If I've got a good one, it lasts me the full shift. I am very thorough; I read every caption of every picture, the reviews of all the books, the articles about how to incorporate lingerie-inspired pieces into your work wardrobe or which type of shearling coat is best for fall etc etc. But I also try *try* to get into some of the more serious articles....It always seems like an oxymoron when Cosmopolitan tries to include some sort of meaningful article in a page following the Bedside Astrologer....I'm sorry but your target demographic isn't buying your magazine for the current state in the Gulf. All I'm saying:

Needless to say, Cosmo is not my favorite. I just feel trashy reading it. Another publication that really tries to get serious is Glamour. They even have guest columnist Katie Couric, interview an influential women every month. At the call center they have a variety of old magazines and so I've gone through a couple of Glamours - In the first one i read, Katie interviewed Queen Rania of Jordan. For a while she has been one of my favorite "royals" but I recognized her more for her crazy-fabulous wardrobe and less for her work with tons of charitable organizations (particularly involving education). Let me just say: new role-model.

The second Glamour I picked up, I read about a less-known woman named Jacqueline Novogratz. She is the founder of The Acumen Fund, a non-profit which invests in innovative organizations around the world which fight to end poverty

from the article:

"Here’s an example: 1.5 billion people lack proper access to electricity. Many buy kerosene, which can cost 30 percent of their income. It sends millions of metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. And often the lamp will fall over and catch the house on fire. So mothers hate it, but it’s their only option. A guy named Sam Goldman at Stanford University developed a solar lamp for $10 that looks like a water bottle. You hang it on your roof, and the sun [charges] it all day."

{HERE you can read the full article}

So I'm reading this article and thinking, that is the coolest, and best job in the world! Giving back your whole life, a la Mother Theresa...but it's a hard life....No vacations to Morocco for her...you're never home, you probably feel guilty all the time...god I sound so selfish right now. I mean, I have always wanted to go work with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta...Maybe there can be a compromise?
Things got serious real fast.
I've always been interested in non-profit organizations but what always gets me is how little money those in the business make (coming from the theatre major? Yeah yeah I know). So I was comparing my options, looking at Jacqueline and Rania and I decided:
I have to become a princess.
Its the only way. Princesses don't have to worry about paying rent, they get to wear beautiful clothes, they get to have ladies in waiting right? or is that only Queens? Well I would make it work so my friends could come with, AND I get to devote my time to those in need!!
Its a brilliant plan if I do say so myself. Princess Catherine...nice ring to it.

So I did my research and here are my choices:

Prince Azim of Brunei