Do I dare this to be true, do you?
Or is it unrealistic, indulgent even? Or is it a principle we should strive to live and work by and teach to our kids? What do you think? I hope it is true and not a middle class fantasy but a question that nags at me is that surely society requires many to do jobs that would never be a life "dream"? So is it elitist in its idealism - I will follow my dreams while you collect my rubbish, clean my streets, mine the gold I wear on my finger, make things I consume in factories)? Hmmmm....I'd love to hear your wisdom on this.
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That little film makes me very uneasy. Dreams are important and shape who we are, but what was being proposed there was selfish anarchy. Your final question is one that troubles me often. I see the chap sweeping the street corner, or retriving a dead cat from under a parked car, or driving the truck that sucks all the excrement from festival portaloos and I know for certain that no-one ever dreams of doing those things, but that our lives would be immeasurably more unpleasant if no-one did them. Don't have any answers to the conundrum thought! xxx
ReplyDeleteYes, these are exactly my worries, a basic inequality of opportunity at the root of "follow your dreams" ideals. I don't know, I am still convinced that we should believe in fulfilling our potentials and creative dreams, but I wonder if there is this central intellectual flaw that forgets that society demands only the lucky few can do that?? Or maybe there just needs to be an honesty that says, "you know what if you have the education, material backing and support to follow your dreams, just go do it and be filled with gratitude and wonder that you have been given this huge opportunity?" Still trying to work it out. x
DeleteMaybe we could try to remember to annexe a portion of our lives to the pursuit of joy unfettered by monetary consideration. Maybe that is the best we can do. It may not happen every day or every week or every year but we can hold on to a free space, ready to move into when time and duty allows. Having the imagination and mental freedom to achieve even that is going to be quite difficult though.
ReplyDeleteFollowing your dreams as a living, and following your dreams in a hobby capacity is a really useful distinction. Having at least some space to do something that really speaks to who you are should be something every human being enjoys - of course for millions it is sadly not the case, although that fact doesn't change the premise. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
DeleteI don't like the idea of "The Dream" more "The Vision" dream implies that there is no reality and I think you have to be realistic in expectations. Who said that your hearts desire is the easy option any way, often people who aspire to their "visions" have worked bloody hard to get to it and there are those who do and those who don't.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Those who try to make their passion their business often work crazy hard! Doing what you love as a career is by no means the easy option, in fact it will most likely be far harder than a standard 9-5 job, but it might well be the most fulfilling if it works? The thing that niggles at me is that as I, as a materially comfortable member a global society, depend on so many others to work so unrewardingly for so little to make my life comfortable and yet I would at the same time say "follow your heart, live your dreams" - I just wonder if I am being a teeny bit hypocritical or smug in my middle class bubble - that is my niggle. Perhaps I just need to accept and be honest about the incredibly lucky position I am in and follow my vision/passions almost as a duty since I have been given the opportunity to do so? Maybe gratitude is at the heart of the conundrum. Now perhaps I sound like a hand-wringing bleeding liberal but it is genuinely bothering me. Thanks for your interesting comment. x
Deletemy way to cope with that problem, is to follow the triple bottom line. At least may the products I buy pay the workers a living wage, not damage the environment for those workers or me.
DeleteGood triple bottom line, I try to do the same, and boy does it lead to some dithering in the supermarket!
DeleteNow your talking Belinda, think of how your vision transpires into other peoples visions, the chain is endless and eternal. Little acorns as the saying goes. Let your passions and creativity be the spring board that launches others hopes and choices. At the end of the day life is too short, it's down to the choices we make and opportunities we take. Ou heck sounding too deep and meaningful! Lol!!
ReplyDeleteHa! Deep thoughts for a monday afternoon!:) Do appreciate your words, thanks so much. x
DeleteFascinating discussion! I think the question is what sort of life do you want for you and your children. Not to worship money, but money does create opportunities. Although being a guitar player on the street corner sounds nice, it would not necessarily provide the means for your family to live in a safe neighborhood on limited income. The goal is to find happiness in whatever you are doing :) And to have some good hobbies:)
ReplyDeleteBalance? As always it seems. I really like your common sense attitude Laura. x
DeleteOkay, so we're all out there following our dreams - whether that means a hard road or an easy one - and a whole ton of less desirable stuff isn't being done. And yes the argument that we should do this is being made from a privileged position. But it's also overlooking two things: 1. we aren't all equal, and 2. we usually desire rare things. Half the boys in the land dream of becoming a footballer, but many of those boys have two left feet and won't make the grade. So lets suppose 1 in 4 boys became footballers, would the job still be desirable? Who's to say when everybody's playing football and those things have been sufficiently devalued kids won't start dreaming of becoming bin man!
ReplyDeleteI don't want my children to follow their dreams, I want them to be the change they want to see in the world, that seems like a much better thing to aspire to to me and just as liberating.
Such a lot of interesting stuff in your comment, Annie, thank you! I absolutely concur with your last statement - what a brilliant answer to all the thoughts and unease I had whirring around in my mind about this "following your dream" mantra. You have exactly expressed my hopes for my kids and surely there is something more outward looking, more concerned for others and well as self in an aspiration for being part of positive change? I suppose intellectually there is always the complication of "what if your positive change is my negative change" - after all one just has to look at history to see that tyrants and misanthrops as much as saints have wanted to make changes in the world? but that is another whole can of worms!! ps I have read your last para to my 18 yr old and he thought it was really interesting and asked if you were a famous thinker! x
ReplyDeleteDear B. I will always teach my children to follow their dreams over striving to earn the most they can. I agree that it is easy from a financially secure position to suggest this, but I have made those life choices myself in the past, and I am sure I have been happier and more fulfilled because of it. I turned my back on my fashion industry salary and worked for no wages at all for the British Red Cross sending Emergency Humanitarian Aid around the globe. Yes I was lucky that I had a flat that I rented out that meant I could do this, but I had chosen to work hard in my 20s and had paid for that flat myself, that then allowed me to make that choice. I could have kept working in the fashion industry, earning and consuming, but somehow it seemed the right choice for me at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe world is full of possibilities and I truly believe that you can make most things happen if you want to. Perhaps I have just been extremely lucky? I really believe there really is more to life than money. I pick a life where I chose to go without some things and don't get to go out so much. I could chose a different life if material things were more important to me.
I am yet to meet someone that aspires to be a refuse collector, but I have met people that want to work hard and earn a wage. We are all different and that all adds to life's rich tapestry. We can't all necessarily follow our dreams, but whatever we do, I do strongly believe we should 'give something back' whenever we get the opportunity.
This topic is surely too vast to sum it up in a few short words. put us in a room and we could all talk for hours. But it still stands, I will continue to teach my children to follow their dreams rather than chase those pounds.
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Yep, I am totally with you that the accruing of wealth has never been my life goal either, (most of my professional life pre-kids was in low/unpaid NGO work too funnily enough), and not one that I would encourage for my kids. I suppose what this discussion is clarifying in my mind is that whilst following one's dreams may be seen as brave, to have the opportunity to do so, when so many are occuppied fighting for life's most basic necessities, is actually a privilege and responsibility. It is just that inequality of choice that is uncomfortable, but so is much in life I suppose. And I like that dreams come in all different shapes and size - the rich tapestry as you say, none "better" than the other, just personal to us. Great addition to the discussion, Charlotte, thanks. x
ReplyDeleteDrive, talent, ambition. We are all different, but I think that everyone should be self-sufficient for their own needs. It would be interesting to see a response to this from the parent of a 30+ year old who is still "finding their feet, and still taking (or needing) hand-outs!
ReplyDeleteInteresting point, sometimes "following my dreams" can be at the expense of the kindness and support of others, which just goes back to the question of being realistic and coming from a position of responsibility and gratitude I think?
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