- I followed my dreams and became a teacher instead of chasing a high salary.
- Now that my kids are in college and everything is more expensive, I want them to find a stable job.
- Hopefully, they can find a high-paying job that they love.
As a little girl, my favorite place was the town library, where I would check out stacks of books as tall as I was. As soon as I could read, my head was full of dreams.
I wanted to develop a life-saving cancer treatment, circumnavigate the globe as a prize-winning journalist, and perform as a famous ballerina. I believed a life worth living was a life spent pursuing passions, especially when it came to a dream career.
With so many dreams, choosing one path felt impossible. As a result, I changed my college major more times than I changed my boyfriends. Eventually, I graduated with a master’s degree in English teaching. I wanted to pass on my passion for discovering new worlds and words to students.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve taught high school and college classes. I’ve seen students slam their books shut in frustration at the end of “Animal Farm” and sit in stunned silence after turning the final page of “Of Mice and Men.” I’ve helped freshman college comp students hone thesis statements and calmed the nerves of dozens of high school students preparing for speech contests. I’ve been sworn at and threatened, and I’ve been invited to weddings and baby showers.
Teaching has been, in a word, a dream. But dreams don’t always come with a livable wage.
Dream jobs don’t pay the bills
Because of my parents and scholarships, I received an advanced degree without debt. I have a husband whose job provides a decent wage and good benefits, so we can afford eggs (for now), take modest vacations, and send our children to college.
But if I had to care for a family of four on just my wages, it would be impossible.
I followed my dreams, not the money. But is that still good advice in today’s world?
I’m the mom of two young adult sons embarking on their own college and career paths, and I’m not sure if I should tell them to follow their passions.
One son expressed an interest in journalism, but in a world of AI generators and mass layoffs, that might not be a wise decision. Even the tech world no longer feels like a safe bet.
“Find a career that invigorates you, is AI-proof, pays well, and comes with great benefits,” I want to tell them. I might as well be telling them to find me a pet unicorn while they’re at it.
I know the world is different now when I talk to my sons
When I chose to follow my dreams decades ago, rent for my studio apartment cost $400 a month. Gas cost $1.50 a gallon, and a dozen eggs was less than $1. The economy and world news weren’t all optimistic, but I didn’t have social media throwing negativity in my face every minute.
I nearly fell off my chair when my son told me how much rent would cost to share an apartment with three friends next year — over $850 for each tenant. What will expenses be like when they graduate in a few years and try to make it on their own? With rising housing prices, I picture my sons living in our basement and subsisting on beans and rice. They won’t be able to afford eggs.
I want my sons to have fulfilling careers and experience the same energetic boost I get after leading a class discussing or seeing a student have that magical a-ha moment. I want them to have jobs without the Sunday Scaries, where they build community and make a difference in a world that can feel hopeless.
But I also want them to be able to pay their bills, take some amazing vacations, and generously give to causes they care about.
I dream they can have the best of both worlds
I realize this is a false dichotomy. My husband’s career doesn’t fill him with great passion, but his work is satisfying and pays decently. I have friends with successful corporate careers that don’t kill their souls and come with great benefits.
I can tell my sons to pick a career that pays the bills without making them miserable. And whenever possible, they can chase life-giving passions — whether inside work or outside it. Maybe they volunteer at an after-school program or do some freelance writing so they can feed their dreams and put food on the table.
The world has changed, but purpose still matters. I discovered this in my childhood books and have experienced it in a fulfilling career. Now, as my sons chase their own paths, I dream they find a way to make a living and truly live.
