Five Dream Jobs

Seriously, how appropriate is this? I'm in the midst of working throughthis question, and it isn't exactly as easy as it would seem. What do I want to do when I grow up?

For it to be a DREAM job, I am going to eliminate certain factors. Money doesn't matter...a dream job is all about doing what you want to be doing without stressing over the take-home. I am also not going to be concerned with skill-sets or realistic logistics for said dream job. It's a dream!

Café chef - owner
I love to cook and experiment. I love making people happy and being a part of the action (although not necessarily leader of the action). I see cafés as being meeting places, the neighborhood hub, the conversation matrix, the rendez-vous spot, the networking source, a place to relax or to refuel - the social and political pulse of the city. Combine that with a fun, creative outlet for food, and POOF! I think that sounds like a fantastic way to live. Café de Flore, Cafe Jen, Kafein...all great examples.

Bereavement doula
Usually thought of as part of pregnancy and childbirth, the word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support. There is a growing number of bereavement doulas as well, and this intrigues me. This is probably more of a psychological-ministry calling, rather than the mortuary science realm. My own beliefs about death and preparing for death are not exactly the norm. *wry smile* Death is the ultimate adventure, so utterly amazing that few come back from it. How do we prepare for this journey? How do we prepare our loved ones for our leaving? How do we celebrate the time we have shared with someone who has left footprints in our souls? How do we accept the grief and anger and resignation? I have lost many people in my 35 years of life, and each death has been incredibly different. I think that being a part of this final chapter for people and helping them see the beauty of the passage would be incredible.

Political leader
Face it...we all think the world is pretty screwed up. We all have grumbles about politicians and the system. Admitting a desire to be a part of this is tricky. I've BEEN in politics and the meetings about meetings about The Meeting is just BS. That is not the kind of work I am interested in. My "dream job" political leader is more modeled after people we genuinely admire. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jane Goodall, Nelson Mandela. These political leaders changed the world in ways we all admire.

Writer
This is a funny one because I am pretty confident I have most of the skills necessary to DO IT. I don't because I lack the confidence in what I have to say. Orts, scintilla, fragments drift through my thoughts, occasionally carrying a modicum of elucidation...*laughs* The language is there, perhaps...I dunno. :-P Follow-through and endurance are lacking traits in any of my writing.

Pioneer
A trailblazer, an explorer. I'm interested in living off the grid, inspiring enlightened living, improving people's lives, cross-connecting people so we could actually survive if (and when) the grid goes down. Things like local currency, wildcrafting, homesteading. It isn't exactly "pioneer" since there are lot of people moving in this direction, but I would like to be a part of the movement, I think. Again, I dunno. There are a lot of wackos involved, too. :-S