time crunch at the coffee house tonight. the doors will soon be closing and i need to go to bed, even though my mind is still wide awake. remember how i mentioned some time ago that the ceo at the company i work for liked my idea? remember how i had hoped to have a real writing position created for me? this week they have given me the full responsibility of being an SEO writer for their website, which i'm happy about, but there has been no offer for a) a raise and b) benefits. it's a slap in the face. the real point of my making the case about optimizing SEO copy on the site was to, ahem, have a better job, and the writing that i'm now doing is drawing in a lot more money for them, none of which i'm seeing. how is any of that ethical and fair? tomorrow, i scheduled to meet with my manager to request a consideration for more money per hour for this sort of work and health benefits. i'm going to be bold about asking for what i desire. if these people do not come through and are not willing to treat me as they treat the rest of their staff, then i'm going to have to find a job elsewhere- the situation has me upset and feeling low in spirit. i hate corporate america. i hate how these companies undercut people and want nothing but more $. i thought that this company was interested in its people. we shall see. what i've learned from my former boss is that if you approach the company you work for with the attitude that you have a special skill/service you can offer them, then you hold the true power. you are an asset. she was always so confident and enthusiastic about her ideas. i decided to do what i thought she would do in my shoes at this new place. at work today, one of my friends who sits several rows behind me, brought in my poetry book for me to sign. it was the first copy of the book i've seen in print. it was exciting to see it, but then people around me wanted to look at it. the book was suddenly out of my hands and being passed around the office, which made me a little nervous given that it is such a personal book. they were reading the back cover, and now i'm "out of the closet" at work. it's a big deal for me because i've always maintained a line between personal life and business at work around people i'm not close with. a lot of people had no clue, i'm sure.