What dreams did you have as a child, and did you pursue them?
In reflecting upon my childhood, I don’t recall any grandiose dreams of becoming a doctor, lawyer or another profession like that. I was, however, captivated by big trucks. It’s quite comical when I think about it now. When I was younger, the only thing I remember wanting to be when I grew up was a semi-truck driver (or as Louisianans would say, an 18-wheeler). LOL! I suspect that it was because I was enamored with the immense size of semis, and I especially loved the ones that were cherry red, as that was and still is my favorite color.
In looking back on it, I sometimes wonder if I didn’t daydream about what I could be as an adult because I didn’t know that I could dream. I think that I spent much of my childhood in survival mode and simply existing, rather than imagining what could be, given all the strife in my home.
It seems my husband and I were destined for each other… His “dream” job closely resembled mine, but with a funky twist. As a child, he was fascinated with giant hoses and valves, especially the ones that were connected to large trucks, those with the sole purpose of draining septic tanks. He didn’t really understand what they did, nor what kind of job the men who drove these trucks had. He just loved how massive these hoses and valves were. As he got a bit older and understood all that was involved as a septic tank operator, his dreams quickly changed as well. LOL. He had an interest in being a pilot, but in the end, he became an architect. Currently, he is teaching Bible classes on the books of Genesis and Revelation and has students all over the world.
For me, in my senior year of high school I decided that I wanted to be a child psychologist. I wanted to help other kids, given the traumatic childhood I had. However, after my first year of college, I ended up working for a daycare center for the summer. Even though I love kids, two weeks in, I knew that child psychology was not the field for me. In the end, I earned two bachelor's degrees, one in psychology and another in international relations, with the intention of going to law school. At one point, while I took my LSAT, I ended up working as a temporary paralegal for a law firm. Even though it was only one firm, I saw firsthand how attorneys were treated, not to mention the significant hours they worked, and decided that the legal profession was also not for me.
Shortly afterwards, I stumbled upon a business development and marketing position for an engineering firm, and I’ve been in the same industry for the past 30 years or so, other than a diversion here and there.
What about you, are you in your dream job?
I don’t know if I would call what I do my dream job, but what I do know is that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. The Lord has blessed me greatly in my planning and relationship development abilities, and I’m grateful for that. I’m also incredibly thankful for this blog.
What I’ve learned over the years is that daydreaming is a gift. It can increase creativity, enhance problem-solving and can serve as a mental break from monotonous tasks. Dare to dream!!
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