Get A Real Job

Most of you know what I do for a living - but how many of you think that my job is not a 'real' job? My Dad, in almost every conversation we have, asks me when I am going to get a 'real job,' to which I reply that I HAVE a 'real job.' His asking me this irritates me enormously, but as I've gotten older I've realised that it's just that his idea of a real job and my idea of a real job differ. A real job, for him (as far as I can tell, I may be wrong) is one which: earns you a decent amount of money, is something you are proud of, is something which makes a difference to the greater good, has potential for growth, and is one which he can tell his friends about with a note of pride. Somehow "my daughter the doctor" sounds better than "my daughter the pastry chef." My Dad also believes (for better or worse), that I am somehow doing myself a disservice by not having a job which (to him) requires more intelligence. There is no arguing that I'm clever - some might say very clever. But does that mean I have to have a job which requires high level thinking all the time? Who says my current job doesn't require it? Am I intelligent enough to be a doctor? Honestly? Yes, I probably am. However the main problem is I have no interest in being one. So if I were to become one, it would qualify as a real job for my Dad, but the fact that I would be miserable doesn't factor into it. If he called me and said, "So how is the doctoring business?" and I said, "Well, Dad, I hate it, am miserable, and cry every day" he would probably say, "Well, everyone has their good and bad days." So what is my opinion of a real job? Well, I hate to say it but I actually do agree with my Dad on most of those points. It's just that while I think my job does actually meet all those, he doesn't. Fact of the matter is, every day my job requires me to think on my feet, work out often complex formulas, exercise both my artistic skill and my technical expertise, and EVERY DAY I make a huge amount of people very, very happy. Do I earn a decent amount of money? In my opinion yes. (No prizes for guessing what my Dad thinks of my salary.) Now while one might argue that my job is not dramatically changing the world (and I'd have to agree), the fact is I change the world by making people happy, and by contributing to society in many other ways. Since I was old enough I've volunteered my time to various social, medical and political organisations - and I still do. DH & I are getting progressively more involved with our temple, helping our local community. I do nice things for friends, neighbours, and strangers on a fairly regular basis. I am raising three children to be polite, socially aware and active human beings - in itself a full time real job. My Dad's job potentially changes people's lives dramatically - he makes people's dreams of becoming US Citizens a reality. My job, and my life, change people's lives in far more constant and subtle ways. I'd venture to say both he and I are doing damn fine work at our respective "real jobs" - now if only we could agree on what a real job is.