Dream Job

I was asked about my dream job by my trainee at work today.

Currently, I am working as an educator at a nursery. And I love my job. It is very positive and rewarding, even if there are days when four babies are constantly crying for no apparent reason. No child cries without reason. (be it hunger, thirst, pain, boredom, tiredness, filled nappies…). Ask me anything, and I will give you a passionate response.

But this is not my dream job.

Being a writer is not my dream job either.

My dream job was and still is working in drug and HIV prevention. It was my dream from an early age on. I think I was about ten years old when I first voiced my desire to work with drug addicts. (I was only 4 when I decided that I would want to be an educator, there was never a plan B.)

That’s the reason why I chose my career. With my diploma as an educator, I can do many different jobs here in Luxembourg. I can work in nurseries and day care centres. I can work in schools and high schools. I can work with elderly or disabled people. Or… I can work with socially unstable people; with outsiders. These spaces are very few though — the ones at school too; for a different reason.

Truth is, I never dared to work in the field I always wanted to work. When I had my first job, I was already a mom. Being a parent puts many things in perspective. Having people around telling you all about the risks working with these people instead of encouraging you to take a leap of faith is the other thing that always kept me from applying to open positions.

I am easy to manipulate, and maybe I am afraid too. What if I can’t stand the emotional challenges this job would entice? There are no positions vacant any way at this point in time, but maybe I should keep my eyes open?

Close second to the prevention job is being a teacher. Preferably teaching Luxembourgish to foreigners. Or going to schools and reaching the young ones about drug abuse and HIV/AIDS.

Third is (indeed) being a writer who can live off the sales of their book. I only sold one (1) copy of my book in November. I am giving away too many copies, lol.

What is/was your dream job? Would you give up the safety of your current job to find something more exciting, or to do your dream job?

Tell me about it.

Cathy

PS: I must be amongst the worst writers ever. I even keep misspelling my own name!