Posted by The freedom to change our lives, as we ostensibly have in Amrikan society, is largely an illusion without possessing the courage to change our lives. It is believed that roughly 80% of the people on this planet (if not more) do not like their jobs. But they find a way, some way, somehow, to become good at them.
Rare are the persons who willingly sacrifice the stability (and sometimes, soul-crushing monotony) of the “regular” life to follow their dreams. Sometimes relationships, children, aging parents get in the way. Others truly do dream of living the stable and regular life. No judgment here on any of them.
A friend of mine is leaving PNC to pursue her dream of working in the fashion and entertainment industry. She has a foothold in with some pretty heavy hitters so she’s taking the plunge and leaving the financial services world.
Her situation reminds me of my oldest sister who left the corporate/business world to pursue her dream of being a writer and photographer. She lives what I (admiringly) call the Vagabond Life. She travels, writes, photographs and talks endlessly on her cellphone. She supports herself by working odd editing jobs while she attempts to establish herself as a full-time author/photographer. She’s unencumbered by thoughts of saving for retirement or a child’s college education.
I used to have a toehold on the Vagabond Life, myself. It was corporate, to be sure, but such a life lends itself to that sense of impermanence that my friend will soon encounter and that my sister knows all too well. I had a 401k but no commitment to anything except the next day. I left consluting not because I grew tired of this lifestyle but because I grew bored with the work. Today, I find myself engaged in my work but not as much with the lifestyle.
That’s not to say that I dislike my more sedentary lifestyle. But as I’ve detailed in the past, I don’t know what to make of it. Sedentary is still an unknown. I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable with it. But for those who can accept one or the other and not wallow in indecision, their lives are probably better than not.
