Posted by Serenity in You Say Things Now | 11 Comments
And now for our dream jobs…
Have you ever been jealous of the checkout girl at a grocery store? I remember one year when I had two little boys at home, and I was trying to work from there, and I was busy with some volunteer things for church, and I was sort of out of mind stressed out. I felt I couldn’t give a hundred percent to anything because I was doing too many at once. That day when I went to the store I was so jealous of the checkout girl, because her job seemed so one-tasked. (Which was a really unfair assumption of course). And not only that! A manager slipped up behind me and placed a sign behind my groceries, “This lane closed,” and told the girl she could go on break after I was through. Oh how I wished for a manager and a “This Lane Closed” sign FOR MY LIFE.
I’ve since realized that job probably has all its own stresses, and I was only seeing one of her “hats” at the time anyway. Still, don’t we all wonder about other jobs out there? I think, “Where do you work?” is sometimes code for, “How much do you dread Monday mornings, do you get paid more than me, and do you work there on purpose or just because it’s something you fell into?”
I think one reason I sometimes wish I were an actress is because I could try on so many different jobs. So today is, “I’m not a dentist, but I play one on t.v.” Day.
I’d like to be a teacher in a test run sort of way. I’m pretty sure it’s not my gifting, but I’d like to try it out for a while. I’m thinking high school Language Arts. But elementary school sounds tempting every now and then when I’m feeling particularly nurturing.
I’d like to be Kelly, as in, “Regis and…”.
I’d like to be a stay-at-home, full time novelist.
A stewardess. There’s something kind of tempting about flying all day long.
Every now and then, when I’m feeling super giving and brave, I want to open a preschool based on the principles in the book For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley (with lots of imaginative playtime and the reading aloud of great literary works – very cool).
And one more: I’ve always wondered if I could make a go of my very own business – like a book store or a quaint little coffee shop.
And now it’s your turn again. What jobs do you wonder about sometimes?
I worked in a coffee house once, and ever since then I’ve wondered if I could make a go of running my own. I LOVED working there. Maybe someday I’ll “try that on” again.
I’d also love to be a full-time novelist, and I “tried on” college teaching and enjoyed it – hoping to go back someday.
I’d really love to travel and get paid to write about it, and sometimes I wonder what it’d be like to be a professional musician.
I’m sure there are more – what a fun idea! Thanks for adding some dreaminess to a Monday.
I really do love the job I have now, along with the flexibility and the fact that I get to work with my husband. HOWEVER, if we’re dreaming… the thing I’d love more than anything else is to not have to work at all. I would work in my yard, change things in my house, turn my garage into a cool workshop for Leonard, spend endless hours with my grandchildren at the zoo, children’s museum, park, etc. And I’d love to be able to volunteer my work hours. There’s something really great about knowing you’re doing something because you WANT to not because you get paid for it.
But also, as far as paid positions go… I’ve always wanted to be one of those photographers in Walmart who take pictures of whoever happens to walk in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken my children (and now grandchildren) into places like that and secretly wanted to grab the camera away from them and say, “Here, let me try!!!” It sounds so fun, coming up with the unique poses!! (So while the rest of you are travelling all over, experiencing the world…I’ll be at Walmart!)
I deal with medical professionals so much with Claire’s needs, I often think, I should have done that. Therapy especially, nursing occasionally.
Journalism. Flying out to meet interesting people and staying home to write their stories while I live my own with my kids.
Landscaping.
Politics. I think I could rock out that job.
And, I’d join you both with the coffee shop endeavor. Where should we do it?!
Oh, dear. More wishing. I get out my Ish Wish Dish far too often already (though I very seldom wish for fish).
The problem with dream jobs is the whole “How do you really know until you’re there?” question. That and, “Will I start hating my hobby if I have to do it? All that said, here are a few of mine:
1. Write novels and music during the icky parts of the year (weather-wise). Tour as a professional musician during the nicer bits. This would satisfy my inner creative cat and my inner nomad.
2. Be an editor for a fiction publishing house. Sometimes I think I just don’t have what it takes to write really original fiction, but I’m a dang good editor.
3. Run a bed and breakfast with Amy.
4. Run a restaurant where everyone comes and sits at one table like a big dinner party. Instead of ordering off a menu, I would browse the markets (assuming I lived somewhere where they had all sorts of markets) and fix whatever was fresh and wonderful for everyone, sharing common dishes instead of “plating” the food.
5. Be a psychologist, counselor, or some such therapist helping people work through their issues one-on-one (God knows I have and probably will need enough help of my own!).
6. And, yeah, coffeeshop/bookstore/live music venue owner has occurred to me.
7. Just for fun–I’d like to enter a study where I get paid to let scientists observe the effect on my psyche of reading fiction, playing music, and cooking supper all day. :-)
8. Maybe when all the kids are grown, Amy and I will join the Peace Corps.
9. Teaching English as a second language in another country–maybe Japan, China, or India.
10. Run a small farm, growing our own food, making our own cheese, etc.
I’m afraid I’m setting a dangerous precedent here–I’m obsessive/compulsive enough to fell like I’m going to have to write lists of ten in response to all your posts now.
HaHa! I like your lists of ten. And I love the idea of categorizing your creative efforts by the season. Nice.
I would be the first anthropologist/teacher/librarian/musician/writer/missionary in the world and I would do all the jobs perfectly! HA!!
While you are right, you did only see one hat and have simplified that checkout girl’s existence to illustrate the complicated nature of your own life, I think “The Grass Is Always Greener” applies to everyone. It’s the reason why James Lipton asks every overindulged, over-privileged Hollywood celeb, “What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?”
Me, well, I think that having the opportunity to stay home with my OWN two children, while working from there, and volunteering at my synagogue sounds dreamy. But, like you said, it has it’s own stresses.
Think I’ll just tend to my own yard. Great, thought-provoking post.
Thecheckoutgirl, Wow! I’m glad it came across that I really did see the error of my assumptions. Otherwise, you would have had to really zing me. As it is, your very gracious comment has adjusted my attitude even more. It is dreamy to have a job in which I am home with my children, and I rarely take that aspect of it for granted. Thank you for reminding me not to!
Serenity–
This is unrelated to your post, but I thought of you when I saw this and wondered if you knew about it. NPR is having a three-minute fiction contest–fiction that can be read aloud in three minutes or less. We’re going to be in Wyoming all next week, but I’m still going to try to write something if I can find the time (the deadline is July 18). I thought you might be interested.
Dream jobs, hmmm . . . I’ve often thought it would be fun to be one of those people who is hired just to think of innovative ideas. I love thinking of ideas!
Landscaping/Gardener would be something I would totally enjoy – if someone else did the heavy lifting stuff!
Counselor because I find myself doing this a lot, but would love to have had professional training for it.
Since I helped my mom rehab after several surgeries I could totally see myself being a physical therapist and helping people in this way.
Owning and running a book store like “Shop Around The Corner” in You’ve Got Mail. Especially wearing the pointed hat and reading childrens’ books aloud to precious children and their parents!
Working as a designer in a flower shop!
i’ve always wanted to take a 3 story house, have the first level be a pastry shop, the second level a coffee shop and the third level a used book store (old books smell the best).
and of course be a photo journalist that went to Scotland, and Swaziland and be published in National Geographic.