When I stepped onto the train for my first day of college I knew it was monumental, that this was no picnic in the park. I was absolutely right, I was met with a not only a frenzy of energy on campus, but a mass amount of intimidation. I'm sure that was not their intentions to display themselves that way, but this was how it felt.I started applying for schools in November of my senior year, I thought I knew what I was going to spend the rest of my life doing. I decided I was going to be a Social Worker, everyone I told this to assured me that this would be a perfect career for me. But after going to my school's orientation I discovered, that while my idea sounded stable, and would leave me with a reliable job in my future; I knew that I did not love the idea of it. I proceeded to drop it, and I thought about the things I love to do, and if any of them could possibly be a career.
I mulled over the idea of becoming a Librarian, seeing how I had 3 years of experience working in my high school's library. I stuck to this idea for a few months, then just a few days ago I was talking to a friend. He told me about his travels around the world, and how much he loved the opportunities that his degree in Wildlife Preservation offered him. He told me how originally he planned to work in IT, because it paid well, and it was a steady career. This reminded me how as a child that I wished to become a park ranger, which was in a completely opposite direction of becoming a librarian, so what was I to do? Have a steady job that I somewhat enjoy, or take on my childhood dream?
So now I am faced with a problem, while I love working in libraries knowing that they have predictable tasks, and I can work in a building lit with florescent lights like the rest of western society. Or I could embrace my childhood fantasies, ones that involve dirt and surprises around every corner.
So I started to question, not only myself, but society. At what point do we give up our childhood ideas? When we do choose stability over happiness? I think the best thing about these questions is that we get to decide the answer. While I still have time to make my decision, I often reflect with the quote above.