Who says I have to grow up?

Too many questions plague me on a daily basis.

Am I "stuck" in my current career of choice, or will I one day to make the decision to the world of "normal" folks that only work days and no weekends?  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average U.S. worker changes careers 3-5 times during his lifetime.  Sure, there will be outliers who never change their careers because they have a burning passion for what they do or those who change careers ten times because they want a taste of it all.  Diversity is the spice of life, right?  I am only "stuck" if that is how I choose to see it.  Restaurant work is fast-paced, challenging, and routine-based...not to mention I love the relationships I build with my customers and employees.  Those relationships make this all worthwhile.

What is "success;" am I successful?  The dictionary has six different definitions...the way people view success is entirely dependent on their life perspective.  Often I catch myself looking at other people's social media sites and think, Whoa--they are so successful!  At what, exactly?  Projecting a happy life where they are constantly buying into our American consumer lifestyle, spending more money than they earn.  Are these people really happy or do they just spend time showing us only what they want us to see?  Naturally, I don't post all the terrible things I think because I have grown up just enough to know it is not appropriate to air your dirty laundry for all the world to see, hear, and read.  Plus, let's face it...are you truly living if you are spending most of your time posting about what you are doing instead of just experiencing it?  Let's not measure success by the amount of useless crap we buy then post on social media...let's measure success as "the accomplishment of one's goals."

Why do I have to be too skinny and dolled up to be "beautiful"?  Society has a strange and skewed view of what beauty is; one that I will not be passing on to my child.  When I shed my eyeliner for my thick glasses, it's not because I "have given up" or because I lack confidence...it's because my eyes are sensitive and I don't have to impress anyone.  My personality is an enormous part of why I am a beautiful person; I smile more than most people I know because I am happy and I love spreading that joy.  I will never be thin, and I am more than okay with that.  My daughter is one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen, and she got half her genes from me!

Who says I have to grow up?  Did Peter Pan have the right idea? "I always want to be a little boy and have fun!" When I think about a "grown up," I think of someone stifled by life circumstances...an individual who has stopped growing and evolving.  In this regard, I shall never be a grown up.

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