30 Day Blogging Detritus, March Edition

Day three. The grass is greener?

3/3/2020

If you could be paid for doing anything you wanted full time, what would you do? When you were a child, what did you dream of doing when you grew up? Then, take some time to research “unconventional” jobs (ie. hot-air balloonist, deep-sea invertebrate researcher, professional table tennis master, etc) and share one that you think you would be good at or would be fun to try.

I'm quite sure I'm not alone when I say if I could be paid for doing anything I wanted full time it would be to write and publish fiction. This was my dream when I was a child (other than being a barbie) and for as long as I can remember, it's what I've wanted to be "known" for somehow.

I don't know where or when the ego came into play- I suspect it was in high school when we all turn into assholes and think the world should revolve around us anyway. So there it is. Writer. Through and through. I've managed to get some of that dream buckled down, but I'm still not writing what I really want to. I'm writing what everyone else needs me to write to make money.

So unconventional? That's a tough one. I've always kind of wanted to be the curator of an oddity museum or museum of medical science where I can keep the weirdest bits of history alive for other people to enjoy (or be repulsed by- potato/potahto.)

I wonder how many people wake up in the morning pondering this question before they get their shower and coffee and head to work? Their everyday, dull jobs somewhere in an office or a shop or restaurant or whatever. What portion of themselves want to reinvent themselves?

I used to want to join the peace corps for a long time (and write for them of course) and that came flashing back to me one day as I was headed to work with my kids. See, I used to work in a daycare in the YMCA right by my house, and my kids were all raised there. I worked there for a solid 12 years, and the friends I made there are priceless as well as the friendships between our friend's kids, they're really just like cousins... but I digress.

The reason I bring this up is because on my way down the sidewalk, 4-year-old twins trailing behind me like ducklings, I had the odd sudden urge to look up at the sky, and when I did suddenly I could imagine in my mind's eye what people were doing all over the world at that very moment.

I thought about people sitting in traffic in major cities, cramming on trains in Tokyo, women preparing daily food for their tribes- babies and women all together running the show and keeping s*** together. I thought about a posh socialite in London stepping into her Bentley. It all rushed through my mind at that minute and somehow I felt connected.

Now, don't' get me wrong, I'm not trying to say I'm all profound and s***, believe me, I'm not. But that time was a mild form of enlightenment. I felt like a part of the global human race.

I suppose my point in explaining all this is to say no matter what I end up doing- dream job or far from it, the world just keeps turning and at some point, a weird feeling will come over me. I'll look up at the sky and stop feeling sorry for myself just for a minute and turn my attention to the rest of the world, and it'll be amazing. It's the perfect time to stop worrying about not doing what you've always wanted to do for money. That stuff is so temporary anyway.


-TPB