I recently landed an internship as a theatre reviewer. It's unpaid, but the compensation for interns is free tickets to every showing.

When I told my mom the news, she said to me, "That's great! I knew you would get it. You need to get a job." Fleeting support with a push toward money. All that told me was that I'm not doing enough.

Even when I apply for jobs, she tells me to apply for more. Applying for jobs reminds me of the months I cashiered at Target and how much I didn't enjoy it.

Not enough. An internship is not enough, apparently.

It didn't stop there. When my mom assigned me several tasks for my sister's bridal shower, her reasoning was: "You're not doing anything." I'd love to help out, but her words still hurt.

I can't read her mind, but she gives the impression that I'm not doing anything important if I'm not making money.

I may not have a job right now, but I'm not doing nothing. I still write articles every week. On top of that, I'll now be seeing plays and writing reviews for my internship. There's a writing center in Seattle I plan to begin volunteering at. All of these pursuits will continue when I begin school again in the fall, and I won't get paid for any of them.

Other opportunities that interest me will arise: more writing gigs, even editing ones, clubs, hall council, volunteering.

I know I won't be paid for most of them, but that doesn't mean they are worth any less than a money-making job.

Just because I do activities I don't get paid for, it doesn't mean I do nothing. Just because I don't get paid, it doesn't mean what I do is useless.

After voicing my concern to my dad, he told me, "It's a learning experience. Every time you write something new, you get better. Your writing gets better." And he's right. I still get to learn from what I do, and learning is always important.

I am able to improve my writing abilities, gain experience writing outside a classroom setting, and build a foundation for a writing portfolio. I'm participating in activities to polish up my resume and advance my opportunity toward a career in the writing and publishing industries. In my eyes, these activities are just as important as any job.

Unpaid experiences are some of the best ones people can have. They shape our character and teach us. They touch our hearts the most and even though we don't get paid for our time, we do them because we love them.

No one gets paid to volunteer, but people still volunteer in order to help and improve their communities. Many internships are unpaid, but people continue to pursue them in order to gain skills and experience. These are not useless things. They are not nothing.

My dream is to one day write books and publish books. I have to start somewhere in order to reach it. I'll be alright if it becomes a long, arduous journey that takes many years to accomplish. Even the longest journey must begin with the smallest step.

The activities I do now are my beginning steps, and I know they are not nothing. They are definitely worth something.