The first sign of a nervous breakdown is when you start thinking your work is terribly important.
—Milo Bloom, Bloom County
I have four children, and my youngest will be starting school full-time this year, which has got me thinking. And I hate to think — it makes my brain hurt.
Do I want to go back to work? I work now, don’t get me wrong. But my job is… well, let’s say it’s not the most conventional job. Fun as all get out, though. Still, lately I have been contemplating retiring as blogger-cum-journalista and “Deeva of all things,” and throwing my pin stripe suit back into the work force. I have been “retired” from the conventional work force since 2005; somehow seems like way longer.
In all this contemplation, the topic of “Dream Job” has come up several times. Most people would think that I currently have my dream job. I have been given so much advice on this subject as of late…
- “Are you crazy? I would kill to stay home with my kids!”
- “Are you crazy? You have the best gig going!”
- “Are you crazy? Do you really want to work for someone else again?”
Running theme here seems to involve me being crazy. Well, maybe I am. But the lure of something different — a new challenge, more structure, a steady paycheque and benefits for my family — has got me in a quandary. Which means more thinking, and you know how I feel about that!
What is my “Dream Job”? I took to my web world to do some research, asking my friends what would be their dream job. The answers were as varied as the crowd polled; however, some common jobs came up often.
- Paid Writer/Author (this was high on the list)
- Tester/Reviewer of many things, from high heels, wines, foods, sports cars to exotic vacation spots… (Who wouldn’t love this gig?)
- Stay-at-home Mom (this was a popular one)
- Philanthropist (oh, this would be Faboosh)
- Housewife (well, hello there, June Cleaver!)
Whatever happened to actor, rock star or astronaut? When I Googled dream jobs, I found many varied options, but here’s a list of top 10 dream jobs compiled by The Telegraph (bonus: cool pictures) that seems fairly representative of some sort of consensus:
- Pilot
- Philanthropist
- Writer
- Photographer
- Musician or Singer
- Sports Trainer Coach
- Formula 1 Driver
- Actor
- Journalist
- Artist
But, this list is not at all what I expected: still no rock star or fashion model!
Here’s the thing. There is no way I could pick just one dream job. There are so many things in life that I still want to try: having an antique store is up there; running a small bistro, perhaps — even serving coffee in a patisserie would fill me with joy. No matter what or where the current wind of change blows me, I know I will always and forever be a writer in some fashion, as creative writing gives me the ultimate joy. There is just something about connecting with people by the written word that feeds “me.”
Do you agree with the Telegraph‘s list? Is your job on there? If you could snap your fingers and have your dream job tomorrow, what would it be?
Dee Brun is the award-winning author of Libations of Life: A Girl’s Guide to Life One Cocktail at a Time, a cocktail chef and stylist, TV personality, home entertaining guru, writer, humorist, wife, mother of 4, TV Junkie, shoe-aholic, and borderline George Clooney stalker. Read her column, Isn’t it Deelightful, every Friday on Slice.ca.
