My one (Ethiopian) coworker who's a single mom on the U.S.

The other week me and my one (Ethiopian) coworker who's a single mom were talking about jobs and work in the U.S.

"This is the worst country," she was like.

And, she told me about how she got some medical certifications and diplomas and whatnot, but she couldn't get a job since it was all online and you had to apply and apply and apply and then refresh your application for the same job in 90 days since it expires every 90 days and the same job for the same place is still posted.

"This is the worst country!", she was like.

She then said that since she finally knew a manager at a chain pharmacy, she finally got a job there that way and they hired her right away, even though there was a supposed online application process.

She also said she's in touch with her ex too and he's involved in her son's life even though he's in a different state, but she's very careful so that he's not involved at all on paper when it comes to financial things.

"He's nurse," she was like, "Money."

So, she was saying she got her son a K-8 education at a good Catholic school in her neighborhood for a huge discount and the principal met with her and asked her if she could pay and she was like, "No, I am a single mother."

"That's it," she was like.  "I am a single mother."

She also made sure to get into public housing, too, and her son has gotten into good summer programs by writing about hearing gunshots there.

"And diversity," she was like, "I don't know why diversity in this country, but diversity," and at that she pointed at her arm at her skin.

She then was like, "This is the worst country!  You need to be rich, or you need to know the system."

. . .

Hours later I thought of that conversation and I just bust out laughing, the whole thing was so ridiculous, how she sees how everything works and doesn't really believe in it or get the spirit of the logic but is just like "Okay," and then she goes through the paces to get what she needs however she can.

The one retired psychiatrist at the resthome who's now passed away always really liked her, and said she was very smart.

She used to be an architectural drafter, too, which maybe explains her free spirit and maybe an arty side and why she's a single mother?

Just thinking out loud here.

One time, too, I asked her if she ever celebrated major American holidays like Christmas or anything by putting up a tree in their home, for her son.

"No," she was like.  "Why?"