Dream On

I met a woman today who had no aspiration to make any more money than her current salary. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t comprehend it. I stood there looking at her waiting for more. I wanted her to say I am joking, I want so much more out of my life. But nothing, there was nothing. She just looked at me with that blank stare that makes you uncomfortable and so all you can do to break the ice is say something funny. “I went outside to shovel the snow the other day, fell backwards and came back inside. Suffice it to say, I was unsuccessful.” From that I turned around and walked back to my desk/office/cubicle.

I sat there wondering, how in the hell can you make $40,000 a year and be happy with that. Like what about the things that you want to do that require a little more? What about taking those yearly vacations with your lovie or your yearly girlfriend trip? What about just saying we are not going to cook tonight, let’s go out to dinner? I had to think back to previous conversations that we had. I then thought about her personality. She is always stressing out about not being able to buy anything new for herself or her home. She spends a lot of her time budgeting her money.

She has two young children. I asked her how often she took her children on vacation and she looked at me and said (very proudly I might add), they have been to Disney world and to Myrtle Beach. And again, as I stand here and wonder is that all, I realize that she is content. She has decided to be content with the fact that she earns just enough to stay above water, but not enough to really live life. What’s makes the story even more interesting is that her husband has been making the same amount of money for the last fifteen years. I guess the saying is true, “Birds of a feather flock together”.

I am left to wonder, “How many women live like this?” You mean to tell me that in this blue collar city I live in, people are so content to just keep their heads above water and not aspire to much more. How can a woman be content with that? How can you teach your children to be content with that? How can I even carry another conversation on with you knowing that this is your mentality? You mean you don’t fantasize about things you see in a magazine, or shoes you saw in a store window, or a dress you saw at a department store?

I can’t wrap my finger around it. I don’t even know if I can respect it. It is a hard pill for me to swallow. Every fiber in my being wants to grab her, hold her hostage and reprogram her brain into believing that she should want more. Mediocrity is soooooooooo overrated. I want her to attain a little more drive and go after more. But again, that would mean me dreaming for someone else.
I will dream big for her and hopefully one day (the near future I promise) she will look back at out short time together and realize she should dream big and dream more.

I will hold down dreaming for all of you who have given up and become content!!

S.L.

Sashalior.blogspot.com

P.S.

Before I posted this, I went back to have another conversation with this woman, only to find out that she does take a yearly girlfriend vacation to the same place every year. When I asked her why they don't deviate and try new islands, she says that the small island she visits is just enough for her comfort zone. (I may have a lot of work to do with this one!!)