Sunday, March 8, 2015

Day 7: Hopes VS Reality


To Whom it May Concern:

You dream of happily ever afters, Prince Charming, and doing something crazy big with your life. You know you want to be somebody important, but you have absolutely no idea what that means. You hope to publish books, become a successful photographer, write articles published in important journals (or even non-important magazines), and build the house of your dreams.

Of course, your intentions are to do it all with this wonderful man who will not only support each of your dreams completely, but also help you create new ones. You plan to have the 2.5 children and that beautiful picket fence (or even a slightly not so pretty privacy fence). You dream about saving children, and eventually the world, with your perfect family by  your side. You will visit Venice, Hawaii, Alaska, and eventually travel the entire world together.

Maybe you'll be a teacher, a famous interior designer, or even a brilliant architect. You may even decide to become the best attorney out there or even work for a big radio station. You're going to be skinny, look great, be healthy, and live forever! And, by the time you're 30, everything will have worked itself out, and you will have everything you ever wanted and worked for.

And one day, you'll be rounding the corner to 32, only to realize Prince Charming doesn't exist like you imagined him to be. You really haven't done anything crazy big (but you sure have acted a little crazy at times). You have written that book (and allowed it to become covered in several inches worth of dust), started a part time photography business, and you have absolutely no desire to do the work it takes to become published in any journal or magazine (although, if something of yours mysteriously appears in one, you'll be pleasantly surprised). While you have a house, it's no where near the one of your dreams. You've met, dated, and been in relationships with several men over the years (all of which turned out to be a slew of frogs that you continued kissing in hopes of at least turning them into boys). You do have your 2.5 children (dogs count, of course, as the .5) and fences are too expensive for your cheap ass. While you still dream of saving children, and eventually the world, you've realized that the job of saving children, and the world, crushes this dream a little at a time as you go along. Your family is nowhere near perfect, and that's okay, because you love them unconditionally. You still hope to visit the entire world, but have yet to make any solid plans (as long as you reach Venice, Hawaii, and Alaska, you'll be satisfied, but you may have to suck it up and realize you'll be going alone). You're a teacher (just not in a school) and the thought of interior design and architecture sounds ridiculous to you. You actually debated on law school, tossed the radio station idea, and settled for mental health case management (see teacher). You're far from skinny and healthy, but that's okay, because you look great and you'll live as long as God allows.

However, you have discovered you're pretty good at helping others and have decided to further torment yourself with school (probably will never go back after you get your Master's degree). You're also slowly and stubbornly learning what you like, what you want out of life, and what you'll tolerate from others. You're really beginning to step outside your box in more ways than one, and you're continuing to force yourself to uncomfortably step out further.

Give yourself a pat on the back. Life isn't anything like you thought it would be, but it sure as hell isn't anything like it could be. And that's a good thing. You're doing better than you deserve.

Sincerely,


Me.

Day 7: Where you are in your life vs. where you thought you would be at this point
The Single Woman's 30-Day Blog Challenge

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