Giving up the dream
8 Feb
Dream Job
In my mid twenties, I am confronted by more and more friends every year who are ‘Giving up the dream’ for the big house and fast car.
I get to the point in conversation when I stop asking ‘why’ because I can hear the tape recorded speel they will give me before they open their mouth.
With pressures from our parents and others in the generation before us, we are forced to contemplate our futures. Think dollars. Whether it be civil service jobs, clerical jobs or anything else that speaks ‘quiet but profitable’, our way of thinking is somehow distorted.
And yes, it doesn’t just happen around this age group. For some it happens before leaving school, just in time for choosing what they want to study at university. For some it doesn’t happen at all. For some they are happy and remain passionate about performing clerical jobs throughout their working life.
I have a very specific experience I am drawing from. Just recently my boyfriend turned 27 years old. He studied jazz composition and arranging at university and excelled. Since graduating he has been involved in many freelance projects and still frequently writes.
Just yesterday he told me he is interested in going back to university to study something. He doesn’t care what it is- finance- law- geology (like his father)- just something that will guarantee a nice, cushy job.
All of a sudden- all of the things which I love about him just fell away and I was left with a ‘quitter’.
There was a originally a courageous young man, doing the things he loved because he believed in them, and knew, that no matter how empty his pockets were, as long as he was doing what he loved, he would be ok.
I didn’t know what to say. He was so proud in making a decision that I didn’t want to start ranting a cynical anti conformist speech. So I smiled and forced myself to remember that his decisions were not him- and that- somewhere behind this big decision maker thinking about his future, was just a scared little boy, wanting some concrete ideas for his future.
So, I will continue to watch people giving up the dream, while I move forward achieving mine.
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Tags: age group, big house, civil service jobs, clerical jobs, cushy job, decisions, dream job, excelled, freelance projects, futures, geology, jazz composition, mid twenties, parents, pockets, quitter, Style, way of thinking, young man
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