I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. That's pretty sad considering I'm 37 years old. I have a lot of interests but I haven't figured out how to put them into a career. How many Pirate Archaeologist Crime Scene Investigator Photographers do you know?
I love listening to kids when they talk about what they want to be when they grow up. For instance when I was in third grade I wrote a story about how I wanted to be a taxi cab driver when I grew up so I could drive people home who were too drunk to drive themselves. Typically I hear kids saying that when they grow up they want to be a doctor, a veterinarian, a writer, a ballerina or a race car driver or something grand like that. My daughter wants to be a rock star, a missionary, an artist and an astronaut. She's only 8 so I guess we have time to see where life takes her. Other than the taxi cab driver, I wanted to be an actress, a nuclear physicist, a seismologist and a mommy. One out of five isn't too bad, right?
I have had a lot of jobs in the past. I have been a children's clothing sales person, a receptionist, a waitress, an assistant manager at a movie theater, a nanny, and a clerk at a bookstore. I have worked at a paint your own pottery studio, I have been a kid's fitness teacher, a drama teacher and I've dressed up as a bear to entertain kids. I also ran my own Pampered Chef business for 7 years. Lately I have been wondering if "Webkinz Afficionado" can be considered a career.
So why is it so difficult to figure out what I want to do? Maybe it's because I'm very picky. I'm sure the perfect job is out there somewhere. And I have very valid reasons for not pursuing my childhood career ideas. Taxi cab driver-- I'm germaphobic and I have no sense of direction, actress-- I have morals, nuclear physicist-- I barely passed geometry and never took higher science and seismologist-- I am pretty sure the reasons for not being a nuclear physicist apply here too. Ahh, well. What are you going to do?
Maybe I could follow in my parents footsteps. Let's see... when I was a kid, my dad did landscaping. Later he did security work. Actually I think he still does security work but he is anxious for retirement! You go Dad! Live the life of leisure! Mom is an ad designer. She used to write ads. Mom used to say she wanted to write fiction so she got into advertising. She's also an unpublished author. Her father wanted to be a poet. I have this great picture of him looking very poetic with his flannel jacket and pipe. He went on to start the first catalog jewelry business in Washington D.C. Funny where life takes you!
Maybe it's just the paycheck I miss, and not the job. Stay-at-home moms don't "rake in the dough!"
With all of this being said, I realize I have the best job in the world. Wife and mother. I have the greatest husband in the world and a fantastic daughter! I'm a stay-at-home mom. Stay-at-home mom... YEAH RIGHT! Wait... I actually did become a taxi cab driver! I just realized that! I drive my daughter to and from school and I drive another kid afterschool too! I am a trash man (woman), a warden, a janitor, a laundress, a doctor, a cook, a personal shopper, a CPA and I volunteer at my daughter's school sometimes. I say all of this not to pat myself on the back or get praise from others. I don't wake up every morning and celebrate my accomplishments. More likely than not I wake up in the morning and say, "Crap! Is it morning again?!" I'm not a very good housekeeper, but my family has food and clean clothes so I guess I'm not too bad! I have told my husband many times that if he wanted June Cleaver he married the wrong woman!
I need to learn to be content. That's what it is. I need to learn that what I have and what I do is more important than a major career. It says in Philippians 4:11, "... for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." So I will continue to try to take that lesson from Paul to heart!
No comments:
Post a Comment