My Waiting Game
Oh, the waiting game. The cruel mocking of time that tells you things will fall into place when you are ready, until then just wait. The problem is that sometimes the waiting game becomes a comfortable state of being. Everyone likes looking forward to something. But, one cannot always wait for the circumstances to be right to move forward. My waiting game is living.
I always figured that one day I would land an amazing job that would meet all my financial needs. I would be able to care for my family members and travel to the most random places. I got a bachelor’s degree, I even got a master’s degree, and I put in the years to gain valuable work experience. I have office etiquette and I learned to navigate office politics. My resume now reflects all the requirements needed when I first graduated college and was looking for my dream job. So where is this incredible job offer that I built up in my head? The one with the high salary and excellent benefits? The job that checks off all the items on my list that will finally allow me to live my life fully. It’s not coming.
As a millennial, growing up I heard the line that “to succeed in life, you go to college to get a good job.” The phrase was tired then but in 2021? It’s comical how outdated that ideology is. Going to college and grinding at a job does not guarantee happiness nor a fulfilling life. I am sad to admit that I am 32 years old and have only been to a handful of states in the US and never outside of the country. The idea of waiting for a job to take care of everything for you is not realistic. It was an illusion I sold myself on for many years. I will not be waiting to live any longer.
With age comes wisdom and audaciousness. I guess it’s true that the older you get, the less you care about what people think. All I know is that I will no longer be asking myself “what are you waiting for?” Other than oncoming traffic, the answer is nothing. There will always be obstacles in life, but I do not want to look back and admire my work experience. I want to remember the amazing experiences I had with family and friends. This is something everyone wants, and I don’t think it’s too much to ask for.
