In my younger and more vulnerable years, adults often gave me this wise sage advice:
"Do what you love for a living, and you'll never have to work a day in your life"
I and so many others believed this to be true: that, in the future, we'd all be working jobs we absolutely loved. It was a childish dream really, a delicate fancy one has when they are ignorant towards the immense evils of our decaying world.
As I grew older, however, I learned that this was all but a lie.
My adult family members squashed any and all dreams of having an exciting creative career. That stressed the importance of making money to me, of being in a stable position in society where I wouldn't have to wonder where my next meal was coming from. Creativity was nice, they said, but it didn't put bread on the table. I saw my future in an instant: trapped in a cubicle farm in front of a computer screen, writing endless emails to people I'll never meet. It's a good job, they say, it's not exciting, but it puts bread on the table. I shudder to think of myself commuting every day to a dull office building, surrounded by people who were subjected to the same fate as I.
Imagine my life becoming like the film "Office Space": A corporate drone who's life consists of commuting to work, hating life, and coming home at night only to do it all over again. Although the film is a satirical look at how the American workforce feels about their jobs, some satire is often based on truth. I have never met an adult who absolutely loves their jobs, who raves about wasting the rest of their life away in some dimly lit office. Whoever does, however, is a complete psychopath and should be avoided at all costs.
Do I sound bitter at age 22? Because I am.
I am so sick and tired of being told that I should do what I love, while also being told that making money is more important. Yes, it is important to make enough money to survive but I would also like to have my health and sanity intact. It is disgusting to me that we prioritize financial gain over being seriously happy with ourselves, and with our lives. I mean, why do you all act like you have no clue as to why so many people my age are depressed? It's because you forced them to take jobs they hate!
Whenever I hear an adult telling a young child that they can be whatever they want to be, I want to scream out "IT'S A LIE, KID!" How can we fill these kid's heads with these words of encouragement to pursue their passion, but then totally stomp on them when they're older? It just doesn't make sense to me.
I just want to be my own person and live my own life without my family jumping down my back every five minutes.
Am I working in a job that doesn't pay much? sure I am. Do I love it? hell yes, I do. I love waking up every morning excited about the day ahead, for being able to work with beautiful clothes. I love making my clients smile and having fun with them. I'd rather spend my days serving others than having to sit behind a desk from 9-5, hating life because I had to make a decision about my future in my teens.
I know I talked about wanting a bougie lifestyle while also being broke but that's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that I'd rather be broke and happy than broke and miserable. It's nice to have money, hell I would love to be rich, but I'd rather be a man rich in life than a man poor in happiness. Who knows, maybe my work in fashion retail will pay off and I'll get to become a personal stylist to the rich and famous.
Just let me be me. Just let me do my own thing. I promise you, I'm completely happy where I am right now.
