To the people that ask me what I’m doing after graduation: You SUCK! STOP IT.

I´m not sure if people are aware (I know they are) but, you all are terrible human beings. The last thing an upcoming college graduate wants to hear is “so...what are you doing after graduation.” Like shut up. What possessed you to ask that? What did you GAIN!!? YOU MONSTER! Is this a sick game to you? Do you find enjoyment in diminishing my accomplishments of actually graduating to what´s next? Did it ever occur to you that I have been imprisoned for the last 16 years and am just happy to have my freedom back? Did it ever occur to you that I'm just not doing shit. Of course it did, cause you´re a monster.

I have to admit, I suck at adulting. But doesn´t everyone? People will look at you and think you´re a failure, because you don´t have a job lined up after graduation. Then you look at your friends, with their job announcements, success and accomplished dreams and feel inadequate. For as long as I have been afraid to fail, I have been afraid of people seeing me as a failure. I have news for you, I am so over that. I am free.

To potential employers, my name is Paige Smart, my skills include:

• Knowing how to tell a great story

• Always waking up before my alarm goes off, but never getting up until the alarm goes off

• Eating anything I want and never exercising

• Being sarcastic

• Crying on cue

• Telling other people their strengths

• Finding shortcuts

• Choosing great TV shows to waste my time

• Understanding how Snapchat works

• Procrastinating life

This is it. These are my skills. Of course I don´t have a job!

I think for my fellow 2016 parolees and me, there´s this aura of failure that comes with those seven words, “so…what are you doing after graduation?” And oh...it sucks. It´s like a sharp pain right to your spine. It hits deep. But the thing is, we haven´t failed. I haven´t failed.

My girl Shonda Rhimes gave me some advice. Be Brave. Be Amazing. Be Worthy. I am ready to be all of those things; but God damn it, stop asking me dumb ass questions and just give me some time.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” -Marianne Williamson