Monday, June 04, 2007

Sorely tempted

I've never--to my knowledge--heard of nor read Jon Carroll. But I like his recent op-ed.

Quit your job if you hate it. Go on. I know these are hard times, and people fall off the edge, but God is passing out brain tumors too, and you might as well take the plunge. The plunge is all we've got.

When you're young you think that life stretches out indefinitely and you can take this crap for another decade. And the lesson of Jeanne Steager is, No, you bloody well can't. Life is of varying lengths, and actuarial tables are only averages, and sometimes you gotta close your eyes and jump. Even if it's scary; especially if it's scary.


The problem is I've taken this advice three times already since 2000. Still no dream job, just an expanded list of pointless mind-numbing occupations.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find myself at these important crossroads FAAAR more frequently that I ever would have guessed (I find myself at one NOW, as a matter of fact)

for some reason I always seem to agonize about them the same... but AFTER I jump, and looking back with 20/20 hindsight) I always wonder what all the fuss was about? the choice is almost ALWAYS so obvious that all the worrying just seems silly.

but change is frightening... and we always think we've achieved so MUCH that we don't want to LOSE it.. but really it's the attitude of "having nothing to lose" that makes life fruitful and "chances" are ALWAYS better than "routine"

of course, GAMBLING or UNCOMMON RISK is a whole other issue... but a "change-up" based on educated and careful cosideration can ONLY lead to different opportunities (even if they end up not being the ones you imagine, ie: pointless mind numbing occupations) I believe from the BOTTOM of my being that your life would have been FAR MORE pointless and mindnumbing had you NOT jumped. And you're still rolling and moving, my friend. things most certainly are not "stopped" so there's no use navel-gazing NOW

ANYway, that's MY 2 cents.

:) jv

p.s... I just called the accountant TODAY to set up the new company (that I have been dreading doing) so this post is not only bizzarly timed but particularly relevant for ME. May god have mercy on me.

Geoff said...

Ah, the new company. And you'll have a new investment in equipment and that fat account to start with. Gulp.

Good luck!

Were I single and without obligations, I'd likely be doing what your tour guides in Central America do, or making music and writing in Asia, or something completely impractical but which earned enough for me to scrimp by. I'm unfortunate in that I've never found a gig that matches my skill set AND personality. You at least have a passion for what you do and the skills to do it. I'm in a position where I can't quit my job and figure things out because of our Madison Ave Brownstone, etc. I'm restless and hate being tied to an organization, but don't really have ambitions to build a business.

These doldrums are a recurring phenom. Everything in my life is as I'd like it to be, except for the hours I spent working for someone else. Like my friend the poet wrote, in his shortest work evah:

The Job

Fuck it.