Something keeps coming up that really bothers me.
People my age, "twenty-somethings" or "milennials" as they are fondly called, really LOVE the idea of """""dream jobs""""" and """""doing what you love."""""" They say things like:
"I was in Grand Central Station around 9AM ( SIDEBAR, oh so YOU were the raggamuffin standing in everyone's way during rush hour. Two things: MOVE and YOU SUCK.) and I looked around at all the people in suits with their briefcases rushing around looking so unhappy and I was like THAT'S NEVER GONNA BE ME."
or
"I was offered a $45,000 salary for an entry-level position and I turned it down because THE MAN DOESN'T OWN ME."
These people talk about happiness and dream jobs and how they never want to work in a job that they don't like and how the man doesn't own them blah blah blah. Well guess what, smartypants. The man does own you. Because you bought into the lie (courtesy of THE MAN) that your job will determine your happiness and that you are DEFINED by your job.
This whole topic really gets me flustered because I am an awesome, talented, hilarious person and I work at a desk job for a bank doing things that will probably be outsourced to robots in 100 years. YEAH I GAVE IN TO THE F--ING MAN. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse, it was the only job prospect I had, and I had been feeling completely useless sitting at home all day for a month. I live in MANHATTAN, I can't just wander around pondering shit and expect to pay my rent every month. So I took it. And some days I whine about it because everyone around me is like "dream job dream job dream job money doesn't matter dream job follow your passion miley cyrus money isn't happiness." I wonder if I am wasting my time and talent by working this job and I think about all the other millions of jobs that would be more "fulfilling." But guess what? I'm happy. I love the people I work with and I feel really lucky to be able to help provide for myself and my husband. I don't buy into the idea that the people I work with who have been with the bank for 30+ years have led unfulfilling, disappointing lives because they work a "stuffy" corporate job. They are wonderful, talented, happy people. They are parents, grandparents, friends, and coaches.
EARTH TO EVERYONE: The world WORKS because people work jobs they don't like. Got the late night munchies? Sorry, McDonald's is empty because NOBODY is passionate about being underpaid to shake the salt on fries. You want to go downtown? Sorry, the trains aren't running because NOBODY is passionate about middle-of-the-night shifts doing repairs/construction in the million degree grime that is the subway. You need to open a bank account? S-O-L because NOBODY WANTS to open your bank account. Unfortunately everyone is busy pursuing their passion and the whole world has gone to hell in a handbaket and NOTHING IS WORKING.
I'm really glad there are people who are willing to have little to no stability for the sake of pursuing their passions, otherwise we wouldn't have a lot of the amazing literature, art, music, theatre, innovations, etc. we have. I don't want to downplay the contribution of dreamers to society because they are a totally essential and awesome portion. But they are a small portion. Look around you. LOOK OUTSIDE OF YOURSELF and really think about what you imply when you say that a life working a lousy job is not a life worth living. There's people all over the world working horrible jobs, and you're trying to tell me that their life is worthless? That they could possibly find fulfillment in life because they aren't working at an awesome job? That sucks. That really sucks.
I hope someday that I will be able to find a job I'm a little more comfortable in. One that's a little more me and a little less finance because WUT? And, full disclosure, I do think it would suck to work a job you hate every day for your whole life until you retire. That would actually suck. But most of the people I know don't hate their LIVES just because they hate their JOBS. So cut the enlightened moral high ground crap. Stop making people out to be depressed corporate drones who can't think for themselves, and stop making yourself out to be some holier-than-thou open-minded free spirit. Like, keep following your dreams and everything but don't be such an asshat about it, ok?
*See also: #whitegirlproblems and #firstworldproblems and #SLOPPYFREAKSHOWBABIES
**See also also: #wordvomit and #howtotalklikeababyboomer
I feel ya. I've had one job I didn't hate, but it couldn't pay the bills. And unfortunately the other job I held concurrently put me into such paralyzing depression I couldn't make myself move to go to the job I actually liked. You have to be self aware and make a conscious effort to decide that your life will not be defined by the continuous cycle of creating and consuming money. The gospel is what keeps us from being like the others. We know there is some other stick to measure ourselves with. Some other way to relate and create bonds. Some other way to succeed. The others are just trying to fill the void.
ReplyDeleteAMEN to alllll of this. Can I also add that not everyone has "dreams" they want to follow in terms of a career...? I have a college degree and I'm interviewing at a dentist office for a receptionist position. Pretty sure that is a dream for no one. But it's surprisingly good pay, an amazing schedule, and good benefits. So yeah. I hope I get it. If I could follow my dream and live my perfect fantasy I don't even know what I would want to do. Not every one is "a dreamer". Obviously there are things I love to do as hobbies like interior decorating and crafting my life away and running away to Italy with Brandon forever. But on a day to day basis in terms of working...I would prefer to do something that is just okay but that involves good people, good pay and good benefits as opposed to my "dream job" (whatever it may be) that more than likely has very little money involved. Just because someone isn't in their dream job doesn't mean they are miserable, like you said!
ReplyDeleteIn conclusion to my rant, I want to live in a pretty house and drive decent cars and go on fun vacations and shop at Anthropologie. If all of that means that my husband and I are owned by THE MAN...then so be it. There's my materialism on display for you. We all like comfort.
I <3 you. Seriously. So true.
ReplyDeleteOkay so I'm way behind because I just found your blog via your instagram that I just started following for some reason. But I figured it was worth commenting anyway because I've been thinking about this so much recently. We're moving to Waco, Texas this summer and I'm kinda nervous... just having a bachelors degree in psychology...that i won't be able to find a job that i'm super excited about. I guess I got caught up in listening to people telling me to drop everything and follow my passion because I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how to do that in a small-ish middle of Texas town. But you're so right. My life isn't defined by the job I end up taking there. Maybe I'll have to have one that I'm not obsessed with. Maybe I won't wake up every morning stoked out of my mind to go there. But that's not what it's about. I'm gonna be providing for me and my husband while he's in law school. I'm gonna have other fun hobbies and interests. I'm gonna go on fun Texas adventures. Maybe I should just let my life be defined by those things and stop worrying so much about getting the perfect job.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, thanks for this! I hope everything is great!