Today’s Bloganuary writing prompt asks what our dream job might be. I can certainly tell you what my dream job was when I was young.
I wanted to run a hot-dog stand.
Wanting to run a hot-dog stand probably had more to do with me liking hot-dogs rather than anything to do with the business of making and selling them. I had it all worked out though - the cost of sausages and bread from the supermarket, the cost of bottles of ketchup. I don’t remember ever figuring in the cost of any cooking equipment or transport - that was obviously free - my parents would provide that.
I’m not sure at what point the dream ebbed away.
I never really set out to do what I do today. If you didn’t know, my official title in recent times has been “Senior Technical Consultant” - which sounds lofty and clever, but really means I nerd out about geeky stuff.
Although I work with computers and the internet all day every day, I’ve always been more interested in what they can do to help us, rather than what they can do in and of itself. Yes, it’s very clever that a computer can teach itself to play chess better than anybody in history within a few hours, but it’s more interesting that I can talk to, see, and listen to friends all over the world - live - while walking along the street. That’s still amazing to me.
Computers made the world a LOT smaller - but they also pushed us all further apart. Rather than spend time together, we spend time alone and pretend that messaging and video calls make up for it. They don’t.
Later this year a friend from the other side of the world is visiting London for a few days and I’ll be accompanying her around London for a small part of that time - visiting museums, galleries, and so on. While “the sights” will no doubt be all sorts of wonderful, I suspect the time we spend together will remain far more memorable than any places we visit.
Maybe I’m more of a people person than I thought - even though I claim to be happy in my own company.
Last night we went out for dinner with friends, and quite unintentionally became the loudest, most laughter filled table in the restaurant. After walking home in the dark through reflection filled streets together, we continued late into the night - listening to music, telling stories, laughing, and eating and drinking the remains of Christmas together. It was unplanned, and kind of wonderful.
I don’t know where I’m going with this. Maybe the point is that I never really had a dream job - I just kind of found my way - and while doing so found myself building some of the best memories you could imagine.
Was it John Lennon that said “life is what happens while you’re making other plans” ?