Thoughts of a Random Nature

With all of the hoopla and festivities in Indy (SB46!) this past week I’ve been preoccupied with hanging out downtown at the expense of blogging/writing. Now that all of the excitement is over, the celebrities have flown out, and trash is being picked up, I’m back to business.

A few days ago I was watching a new show on MTV, I Just Want My Pants Back. This show is about a guy who literally wants his pants back after he sleeps with a woman who steals them. Looking past this odd plot, the show features a group of post-college students who are very educated yet underemployed. This doesn’t seem to bother them because they are more interested in finding a career that ignites passion instead of sitting around working for “green bits of paper”.

When I saw this show, my first thought was that the characters were lame and acted kind of douchey. I consider myself intelligent and “environmental sustainability” (discussed on the show) is a topic even I would have a hard time introducing into conversation. My second thought was that I hope I don’t sound like them, whining about wanting a career that’s “fulfilling” and deluding myself into believing I can really make it as a writer (I’m sure I’m the only English major with that goal ). Then I realized there’s nothing wrong with wanting a job that you will actually like most of the time. Wanting a job where you can help someone or make an impact should be considered a good thing.

I’ve written about this before, because it’s a recurring theme in my life right now (and I’m sure some of you too). It’s a common struggle. Do I pursue what I want or what’s sensible? Is there any age where it’s just not feasible? I’ve gotten a sense that fancying yourself an actress or astronaut are fine when you’re a kid, but as you grow older people ask, “So what do you really want to do?” Why is there this notion that childhood dreams must remain just that?

I believe one good thing that came out of the Great Recession is that it sparked an entrepreneurial and creative spirit in several people. Suddenly lifelong dreams people had were no longer put on the back burner because of their job. So many great businesses have been created because there was nothing to lose.

Rapper J. Cole stated in a recent article that, “I never ever once considered going to get a real job with my degree. I felt like if I did that, I was defeating myself and throwing in the towel on my dream.” When I read this article I identified with this quote. I’m asked all the time when I’m going to “do” something with my English degree, as if I have to be sitting in a cubicle at a computer for 8 hours a day to do that (no offense to anyone who does). I use my degree whenever I speak, write, or read. Getting a “real job” doesn’t validate a degree. I’ve simply chosen to use the skills I honed for 4 years to pursue the dream I had when I was a 10-year-old girl sitting at our IBM computer churning out stories on my summer vacation.

Do you have any childhood dreams you refuse to give up on?

J