In Pursuit
For as long as I can remember, I have wished to work. The promises of independence, self-reliance, and maturity proved tempting to a girl who was enchanted by the thought of adulthood. The summer after I turned 15, I promptly and proudly became a lifeguard, replacing empty summer Sundays with double shifts in an attempt to fill my jean short pockets. Now, however, that life after high school has become all I’m expected to think about, I’m asked to take the first “real” step on the path to my future. We are reassured that you can switch tracks along any step of the process, but the inordinate pressure of choice is hardly less daunting knowing you have many more decisions ahead.
I find myself so caught up with what I can’t be that I forget to dream of what I can. American metrics of success overrule my elementary school teachers’ whispers of following your heart and dreaming big. Sources vary on whether jobs should be chosen based on passion or profitability, and we are left at a loss deciding for ourselves. But still, I am hopeful. I believe I am capable and I am excited by opportunity. I am fortunate enough to have been given the needed resources, but I must now decide how to use them.
Through this body of work, I found the answers to my questions not from societal dogma but from those that lived them. I became a listener, making the sometimes nerve racking choice to ask in order to be told. When we live life according to one set track, the people that surround us often become blurry faces in the background of our lives. Being young, and having possibilities, should instead be embraced by learning from those people and their journeys to contentment. I still have much to discover about such pursuits, but that is the beauty of it. Choice is a privilege not all are granted: this experience has taught me not to fear decision, but to marvel at it. Such a simple shift in perspective is the first real step.
Andrew is a photographer.
He eagerly began as an assistant to whichever photographer would accept him. There he learned the ropes and gained skill through experience. He is an incredibly proud father who beams about his son’s attendance of his dream school and adventures in Paris. He takes similar pride in his studio which is wonderfully his own and is filled with the lingering faces of those who have visited. He now teaches, something he may not have initially envisioned himself doing, but is excited to see his interest also sparking in the youth.
Cheryl is an art teacher.
She once envisioned being a practicing artist as her profession and first went to school for printmaking. She quickly realized the difficulty in being a self-sustained artist and found a deep interest in art history. Cheryl worked in a museum and enjoyed the human connection that came with it but found she couldn’t develop real relationships with such brief interactions. She then got her art education Master's degree and her job became her passion. She chooses not to retire and plans on going on sabbatical. She settles for nothing less than satisfaction and tells me that you have to do what’s right for you.
Ingrid is a professor.
She worked for a long time in investment management, becoming well acquainted with busy work weeks and Midtown Manhattan. She wanted to try new things, and lots of things. She now teaches, consults, and sits on nonprofit boards, something different every day. She has more time to do the things she wants- gardening, furniture repair, traveling- but still keeps herself busy. She’s satisfied with knowing that her work aims to make a positive impact. She doesn’t know what the future holds for her, and she’s okay with that, at least for the next month.
Laura is the Head of School.
She observes that people go into education either because someone was a fantastic role model for them or because no one was. Laura experienced the latter; she moved constantly and was unable to form the deep connections she now values. She always longed to be in an intellectual community; her job allows her to be different things for different people: every day is something new. She tells me leading and merely presiding are not the same- she strives to lead. She believes that living with purpose ensures longevity. She wishes to surround herself with nature and her loved ones after retirement.
Celia is a writer.
She has tried a couple of jobs to allow her to continue to pursue her passion before she brings writing to the forefront. For now, she has settled on working at a cafe; she enjoys the daytime, the people, the small connections with strangers, the exchange of interests: “you can’t meet writers as a bartender”. She’s halfway done with a novel about a botanist who inherits her mother’s home which is now in disrepair. The book comments on becoming your own parent, and gaining closure not from those who hurt you, but from yourself.
Bill is retired.
He continues to take drumming lessons and loves jazz music. He particularly loves Oscar Peterson and has a letter from him framed on his wall. He tells me to enjoy being young. There are some things he wishes he could go back and do differently; one day he woke up and realized he was 70. He hopes the future world we’re left with will turn out okay, recognizing the uncertainty of the future. He trusts that I will achieve all that I’m working for; I believe I can too.