The Dream Job

In our childhood, most of us seem to at one time or another dream of being an actor or singer. As we grow older, most of us realize how impractical these types of career goals can be, and we find new pursuits that are more realistic and more in-line with our adult personalities and goals. As a woman in the prime of my quarter-life “crisis,” I'm relishing the unique opportunity to reassess my past goals, present skills, and future plans. My 25th year may in fact be the very best time to look back at the dream jobs I've yearned to pursue in the past, and how they may yet apply to my future.

Acrobat/Trapeze Artist: The first career I can recall really wanting to pursue was that of an acrobat. While I don't remember what exactly inspired me to dream of this occupation, I distinctly recall doodling drawings of a male and female acrobat team working for a circus. The male was always ridiculously muscular and the female athletic and slim with a garishly embellished leotard and feathered headpiece. I presume my inability to do the splits or confidently mount the uneven bars in gymnastics class were the downfall of this dream. Though it may have contributed to my next life's goal...

Back-Up Dancer: OK I admit it, my inspiration for this career was undoubtedly the early 1990s sketch comedy show “In Living Color.” While back-up dancers generally acted merely as set decoration for major musical acts, the Fly Girls brought them to the forefront so the dancers became more like the house bands that permeated most variety and talk shows of the time. Not to mention helping launch the careers of stars like Jennifer Lopez, Rosie Perez, and current “Dancing With the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba. With shows like “Dancing With the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance?” bringing in millions of viewers in present times, I can't help but wonder if I wasn't the only little girl dreaming of becoming a back-up dancer herself. To this day I still love a good dancing session, but in the comfort of a crowd as opposed to a brightly lit stage.

Musician: Naturally upon entering my preteen and teenage years, I developed the desire to become a rock star. This fantasy reached epic, imaginary proportions, up to and including written song lyrics, feeble attempts at learning guitar, and imagined acceptance speeches and “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” style shared fantasies with my best friends/band mates. The unfulfilled nature of this dream I still attribute to a lack of funds to purchase a drum kit.

Marine Biologist: This one might seems like it comes out of left field compared to the previous dreams' performance nature, but perhaps that is only because it was sometime in high school that I realized I was not cut out to be on stage or in front of a camera. My blog last week already touched on my long held fascination with the ocean's depths, and that fascination only grew as I took more in-depth science courses in high school. The dream of becoming a marine biologist culminated in a trip to an oceanfront town where I spend several days collecting and dissecting specimens caught freshly from the ocean. I may have been one of few students to thoroughly enjoy a class trip almost solely focused on learning.

Director: This is the dream that determined the degree program I selected in college, and one I haven't quite given up on yet, though its forms have changed over the past few years. While it may not seem to make sense at first, the dream of working in film is in fact a culmination of many of my prior life's dreams. After dallying in many different areas of interest throughout my formative years, I eventually came to realize that I may be just too interested in everything to faithfully pursue any single interest. Working in film—in almost any capacity—allows research, learning, and growth in myriad areas and subject matters; and it may be the one thing that could hold my interest indefinitely.