04/12/12
While my profession has brought me quite a bit of satisfaction, teaching was not at the top of my dream jobs when I was younger. In fact, it never even blipped on my radar until I was almost 21 (and I got my job at Harding at 22). I thought it would be fun to look back on some other possible careers that I considered (some more briefly than others) as I grew up.
We'll start with the obvious ones:
(1) musician - I began as a music major, on a full-ride to Dana School of Music. In order to keep my full-ride, I just had to maintain a 3.0. I did that. But, I started to hate music. They made it far too scientific. Having rules you couldn't break (though many famous composers made their names BREAKING those very same rules). Truth be told, I just couldn't dedicate to trombone vehemently enough to become "great" at it. I was pretty damned good. But, a small fish in a big pond (filled with music snob fish) at Dana. So, after one year (and a minor in performance), it was off to DeBartolo Hall for me. In my high school yearbook, when asked WHERE I'D BE IN 10 YEARS, I answered, "Living in an A-Frame on a lake in Mecca, Ohio--writing music for a living". Yep. That's something you say when you're 17.
(2) writer - I headed over to DeBartolo, to start a BA in English. I knew I was a good writer, so I figured, I'd try to pursue it. This was a very successful endeavor. Graduated with a 3.5, and wrote a lot of stuff. Also, I read a lot of stuff--which still isn't one of my favorite hobbies, believe it or not. So, I went into the advisor's office and she was like, "So, you're gonna have a BA in English in one month. What are you gonna do?"
I'm like, "Uh. I dunno."
She says, "Well. Uh. You might wanna think about that now. You could move to a big city and become a writer or work for a publisher."
I'm like, "Uh. I like it here."
She says, "Well. That's odd. You could teach. Just take some education courses. You'd be done in about a year."
Im like, "Uh. Ok. I'll do that."
And, just like that, my dreams of becoming a writer ducked under a dusty tablecloth in the corner of my basement. They haven't emerged since.
(3) salesperson / Sears management - Believe it or not, this seemed possible. I worked there all through college, and I'm pretty sure a lot of the people above me at the store thought I'd pursue this. Being a salesperson actually fits me quite well. I like talking to people, and I can sound like I know my shit. So, I considered this for about six minutes. Then, I realized that a lot of the lifers there who were talking about their careers seemed absolutely miserable. Then, I heard Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters, and I had to get away from that place forever as soon as possible.
(4) MLB Umpire - I'm a football guy now, but growing up, I loved baseball. I wasn't an athlete, but I was always the kid who wanted to umpire backyard games. This is just another reason why the ladies couldn't stay away from me. Ultra cool all the time. I really looked into becoming an umpire as a teenager. Once I saw how few made it, I decided that it was a pipe dream.
(5) broadcaster - Funny, because I've been teaching broadcasting for eight years now. I always wanted to be on TV or on the radio. Flirted with the idea. Once again, just seemed like it was a career that was shrinking (and this was BEFORE pod casting). Still, if teaching fell through, this would be my go-to second choice.
(6) actor - Damnit. I really wanted to act. I hated Fred Savage. I thought I would've been way better for the Wonder Years. And Winnie was super cute. I think I begged my mom to let me move to Hollywood a few times. She said it wasn't feasible. Imagine that. But, I'm going to do some theatre. Soon. Very soon.
So, I teach. And I love it. I really don't have regrets. But one can't help but wonder about the road not taken. Maybe, once teaching has faded away years from now, I'll brush the weeds from the unused paths behind me and go for a stroll.
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