A conversation like this happened while at work today:
"Nice, E (I'll skip giving you identities..), you should totally be a photographer.." (with all the sarcasm in the world..we like to give each other crap at work - it's fun!)
"Oh, no! I have greater aspirations in life than being a photographer.." (in an ugly tone, might I add..)
I overheard this conversation and turned to my coworker and told her that was rude, and I'm a photographer. I mean, how could I not take offense to it? E tried to take it back, but it was out there.
And it got me wondering, is there a reason we cut each other - and especially artists - down because of our chosen career/hobby/life's passion? Does one chosen gift better than the other?
Like say a doctor? Do the doctors of this world automatically become better citizens because they save lives than say a musician or boutique owner?
I think in this day and age, everyone coming out of college is given this sense that they need to have this great job in their chosen field, and if they don't - it's ruin. Ruin for everything they've worked for. And then they fail. (which failing..you find out is what your 20's are for!)
They fail because they're set up to. We're given the speech, since birth, that we can be anything that we want to be - the all American dream. And when life happens (as it always does), we fail, fail, fail - until we realize that there's a few different paths to the American dream.
(I know I've talked about this before, but I'm quite passionate about it.)
And my hope is that my coworker will one day know that her aspirations, whatever they may be, are on the same playing field as mine. The paths may be rocky, unpleasant at times, and at times fun - but they're the same.
Not all who wander are lost baby girl, not all.
C
Girl! Yes! Yes to ALL OF THIS!!!!!!! I think this happens a lot more in creative fields than any other field actually. There's always this cutting and needless simplification of our passions to make it seem like we are worthless to society if we pursue what we enjoy. And sometimes people look down on that because either A) they think they are better than that person/field/whatever or B) they are jealous because they aren't pursuing the passions, it doesn't matter if they deem your passion needless/superfluous or not.
ReplyDeleteI personally have experienced this a lot with my dad's parents. His family is full of lawyers and doctors and businessmen. All money, money, money. And yeah, money is great and all and really makes problems a bit easier, but it's the end all be all. I would rather be poor and do what I love than live in a job I hate... and as you know I've had the crappy job. It wasn't worth it.
Great post, girl! Know that you're not alone!
I love you! :) And I always know that you'll be on my side in this "fight" (we can't exactly call it that, can we?), but it's always nice to know that you'll know what I'm feeling too. Thankful for you!
Delete