Dream Job

In a recent article in Space.com magazine, I read about a guy who attained his childhood dream job—NASA pit crew. Since he was five years old, Joshua Graham wanted to work on astronaut spacesuits. Twenty-four years later, he landed his dream job. http://www.space.com/21557-nasa-childhood-dream-job.html?cmpid=527258

While I found the article about what he did to achieve his dream, I kept thinking how similar it was to my character Scott Chirella in Switched, Too. Scott was a year older than Graham when he knew what he wanted to be when he grew up—an astronaut. Through circumstances, some of his own making, Scott got so close then lost out. Imagine coming so close to achieving your dream only to lose it. Disheartened, he returns home and gets another chance.

This made me think more about dream jobs. We all have them. In high school, because foreign languages came easy to me I wanted to be an interpreter at the United Nations. When I mentioned my dream at home, my father shot it down. Do something safe, he said, like being a teacher. I must not have wanted that dream job badly enough because I became a teacher. I did what was safe. I didn’t take the risk of not only defying my dad but going after what I wanted. Much later, I found out that Dad wanted to be a doctor. Because of the Depression, there was no money to send him to medical school. Instead, he became a tool & die man. A safe job.

About twenty years ago, I decided to write romance novels. Despite rejection after rejection, I kept at it. When I got discouraged, Hubs urged me not to give up. My kids who were in college at the time, were also supportive. My friends in my local writers’ group (Mid-Michigan RWA) kicked my butt and said things like “don’t you dare give up now.” I’m so glad they did. While I gave up on a childhood dream, I’m doing my later-in-life dream job.

What was your dream job? Are you doing it?