“You can be whatever you want to be when you get older.”
We’ve all heard this line before; from our parents, from our teachers, from anyone older than the person receiving the message. And for so long, we “naive” children listened to the wise adults’ universal message. There was nothing “wrong” with wanting to be first baseman for the Yankees or an Oscar-winning actress or the next Justin Bieber. Until our parents’ messages transformed into all the things that we could do, to all the things that we shouldn’t do, to how important making money is. And until we got older.
Well, I got older.
This may be the only time you hear this sentence in a newspaper, ever: Wu-Tang Clan had it right when they collectively rapped, “Cash rules everything around me.” And so it does. Or at least my educational and occupational future.
Our parents’ idealistic statement should have had a disclaimer: “You can be whatever you want to be when you get older, as long as you make good money.” At least, that’s how my parents view it.
“No English major,” is another, more blunt way that my parents put it. Or, if I were to get an English degree, it would have to be paired up with a more profitable, pragmatic major: try accounting or marketing! Want to major in printmaking? Looks like you’ll have to double major in advertising!
Which almost makes sense. (Keyword: almost). I can see why my parents want me to pick a profession that pays well, and that is “applicable” to the world we live in. They want me to get a good job, so that I can provide for myself and live comfortably, and not just subsist. But at what cost? To be miserable at a job where I am unmotivated to work? How does being miserable and making more money sound better than being happy and having a sense of pride in my job?
Maybe I’m being a bit extreme, but what I don’t get is why adults send such mixed messages. Why tell us that we can be whatever we want to be and then limit us when we’re about to start college, one of the most important parts of our lives?
To me, parents seem to use “the real world” as a safety net to keep children away from making certain decisions that they feel may be challenging or inconsistent from their beliefs; such as, “In the real world, you can’t make a living being a sculptor.” Or, “In the real world, you wouldn’t be able to make enough money translating epic poetry.”
I’ve got a better one: “In the real world, you should do what makes you happy. You can always find a way to make things work if you are dedicated enough and have a goal. You can do whatever you want, although some paths may be harder than others. However, if you are passionate about something, do it and don’t compromise for it.”
That’s what our parents should be telling us from Day One.
From the moment we are born into this world, we are living in “the real world.” We should accept the fact that, although our parents are older and more experienced than we are, our parents don’t know everything. Of course every parent wants what’s best for their child; but, sometimes you have to decide what is best.
Money never factored into my adolescent dreams, and I believe it shouldn’t be factored into my adult dreams either. Wouldn’t it be awesome to prove Wu-Tang Clan wrong?
