some plastic would make me so happy

"unfortunately, based on the information provided on your application, we are unable to offer you a credit card at this time."

honestly, these words don't sting like they did the first time. that first time was over three months ago when i decided to try applying for credit cards in order to replace my quickly decaying laptop. and i say "decaying" because that is the best way to describe the sorry piece of shit that has tested my patience and sanity well into the new year. for starters, i haven't been able to use it unless i'm within four feet of the nearest wall so that it can be plugged in. but on top of the battery being shot, now the power cord has decided to die, so i'm wresting with the costs/benefits of ordering a new one. and, as you might expect with a computer nearing its four and a half year-old birthday mark, it is painfully slow. truthfully, i don't want to put any more money into this waste of space, hence the reason why i re-visited the whole "applying for a credit card" process. and what has that brought me?
rejection letter after rejection letter. i know all too well that the apple-affiliated visa card i just applied to moments ago will soon discover that i have no viable credit. they will come to learn that my yearly-income (which i calculated based on how much money in tips i can hope to make on a monthly-basis) is a little shy of what one would call a sustainable living wage. so i won't be surprised when i receive yet another rejection letter in about 7-10 business days informing me of my fiscal shortcomings. what does surprise me, however, is how much of a hurdle it has been to be accepted by a credit card company (banana republic denied me a few weeks ago. that did sting). i mean, instead of focusing my college years on excelling in the classroom and valuing my athletic scholarship by training all those summer months, should i have instead been focusing on establishing good credit? am i at fault here?

here's what it boils down to: the only way i will be approved for a credit card is by agreeing to have a co-signer...someone who will be the second card-holder...someone whose financial merit can be verified by their own established credit score. and who do you think that will be?any guesses?

daddy.

looks like i have to travel down the road of co-dependence in order to gain my independence...definitely NOT an un-familiar path to the boomeranger.