Saturday, July 12, 2008
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Okay, I know this is lame. But I actually had a really long post about this, that I was halfway through with and I somehow lost. I may rewrite it as another post, but the gist of it is this. Very few of us actually choose what we want to do. To some extent, this is impossible, because to make a real choice you'd have to know about all the options and we just don't have that kind of time. If anything, there is too much freedom. So although I am mostly happy about my life so far, I wonder about some other possibilities, some roads not taken, or even seriously explored. As a kid I imagined myself doing something more active, outdoors, engaged. Although being a professor is not just desk work, research is. Although I have been much more successful lately, staying happily engaged by yourself for all day every day for weeks on end is a bit of a challenge. I am much more productive with more human interaction than I have been getting lately. Also, I want to be more directly engaged in current problems of the world. I firmly believe in the importance of literature and history, or understanding the past and other cultures. But I am not sure that I have to be the one laboriously searching out this esoteric knowledge. The main thing that has changed since I started graduate school is my concern for the environment has become much more concrete and urgent, since I have learned more about global warming and the crucial moment we are at now as a planet and civilization. So lately, my list of possibilities have been, not in any particular order, environmental architect, or designer, or builder, remodeler, environmental lifestyle consultant (like a cross between a general contractor and personal trainer), or some sort of environmental business, maybe even a bed and breakfast in a tropical location, environmental lawyer, or even if I were teaching I would almost want to be teaching a general education class which doesn't exist at most schools, like Applied Environmentalism 101, or something like that. I have also thought about being a politician, except ever since I lost the election for class treasurer in 3rd grade, that I thought I had in the bag, I have wondered about my electability. A lot of jobs that seem perfect are more science jobs, like Ephraim's or Christian's possible future job, but as much as the ideas of science interest me, I always enjoyed my humanities courses a lot more. Besides, I can't really see myself back in undergraduate science courses. So any suggestions? I am also very interested in hearing everyones thoughts. So if you read this, please post a response.
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10 comments:
Jake: The leisure man. Note the use of the article.
Me: Awesome.
I'm really irritated that no one is replying to this post. I want to read the replies. AUGH!
I wanted to be a lawyer or a doctor when I was a kid, but now I want to do something that has flexible hours so I can be with the kids. So now I'm leaning towards marriage and family therapy or librarian.
One of the reasons I liked Jesse was that he knew what he wanted to do. This whole struggle has been a stretching growing experience for me as well as I've had to take ownership of the choices I've made. I chose to stay home with the kids and support him in his schooling. So now that more school or a different job may be in the future, it feels a little like the rug may be pulled out from under me. But it has put our relationship in perspective for me. I didn't marry him because he was going to be a professor, but because of who he is and will be.
we are in a state of decision right now. it is very hard. tony often talks about he regrets not finishing the animation program at byu. and i feel bad for not supporting him. at the time, i thought it was better for him to just graduate and be done. now he talks a lot about nursing school. but he hasn't had a science class in years. i have even less idea about what i want to do. i guess grad school, but what to study? i think that you are still young and teaching seems like it's flexible enough that you could do it and still pursue other interests. tony is still interested in helping you with the website, although he has said that he has found some sites that do a lot of the things you discussed.
Jesse,
We've not talked in years, so I hope you remember me--Megan (Peterson) Romo. I couldn't be more happy that I stumbled upon your blog and found this post.
It's a question I've been asking as well, and I've been wondering if time has passed me by and I'm stuck in my current profession and state of childlessness (a choice, not affliction). Your post is helpful in that it's reminded me that I still can choose, can go back to school, can rediscover some passion for finding out what it is that I want to do. I have somehow convinced myself that the stagnant state I find myself in is the state I will be in ten years from now. But it doesn't have to be that way does it? I wanted to be lawyer before college, and then I wanted to teach, and then I wanted to write, and then to teach, and the to write, and then I got married, moved on, and expediency ruled the day.
I would still like to teach and to write and to teach and write. So what I'd ultimately like is to go back to school. Where I'll find that what I want isn't what I want and the process will start all over. But I'll still have time, won't I?
As do you now.
(It's great to see what you're up to; I always knew you'd go out and make a valuable contribution.)
Megan, thanks for the comment. Good to hear from you. I still feel very unarrived, so I am try and make sure that I am enjoying as I go, or change how I am doing it. That has been a little bit of a challenge for me in Tokyo, since most of what I really like naturally is nature. I like people too, but in smaller doses. Anyway, looked briefly at your blog and it seems like you are writing. I am sure you could find opportunities to teach as well, to see if you like it. I've kind of discovered that I don't like some things as well as I thought I would, research, and like others more. Sometimes, it seems like its easy to stop liking anything that you become obligated to do somehow. So maybe the trick is to consciously choose to do what you have to anyway. Or something like that.
So, I have been in the business world of full time work for about 5 years now since I last graduated from college. And, I might add that I have an awesome job and get to work and halp the mentally ill and work with others like nurses, doctors and social workers in the psychiatric frield. Even though I do love what I do..working 8 hours a day, some call it 9-5, eats your soul. It is very hard on a person and I am sure that is why in some countries they have siestas and month long holidays, but not in the US. I definitley support the teaching career becuase you can choose your hours and you have options for summers off. My advice for anyone choosing a career now, is to choose a job where you can make a lot of money and spend mimimal time away from your family and more time outside enjoying life or focusing on environmental issues/causes. Also, for Sienna: I work with a lot of nurses. It is such a great job! The nurses in California work 3 days a week for 12 hours per day. By law, they have to make overtime for anything over 8 hours per day, so a lot of nurses make over 100,000 per year.
I've always felt that you will be guided--albeit a step at a time--in what you do and that it will encorporate everything you've learned and care about--Japanese, Chinese, Asian culture, the environment. Mike was looking to buy an orchard before he got the job at BYU. You will work and it will work toward good. (Not very concrete.) Have you read your blessing lately? (Just a thought.)
I agree with Pam that you go step-by step. I started out teaching--enjoyed it. Then stayed home with kids. After I moved to Roseburg, the only job I found was good because I learned new skills (helping people find jobs) but bad because the company and people were without ethics.
Those experiences led me to be a good supervisor when I finally found my dream job. I was helping people, putting my experience and schooling to work, and being a leader who could make a difference. I found I could teach ethics including how to treat co-workers.
Now I'm teaching part time and sometimes my students think they've gotten me off the subject and we're just chatting. Really what I'm doing is teaching them my values, how to work with others in the workforce, what to do when things get bad, how to protect themselves from bad situations etc.
My suggestion is that when you're teaching you can put a lot of extras into your class--environment, your interests, etc. When students are engaged in the conversation, they listen and learn from you.
My career path has changed so many times it's ridiculous. I currently work full-time (w/ lots of overtime) as a mother/housekeeper/homemaker. It is really what I've always wanted to do, but I see that it can't be everything forever. Just before I had my son (I now have a daughter too) I did some teaching (ages 3-18) and decided I want to teach high school history or english. It is a luxury that I can afford to have that be my job in the future since Brandon is a dentist now. I will get my teaching certificate sometime in the next couple years and probably a masters degree after that just cause I want to.
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