In a previous post, I mused over what I would do with a million dollars. What I neglected to mention was what I would do for work after that. I couldn't handle life without some sort of regular, working schedule (it's boring enough right now, with only one kid to care for). There is my dream job, but there are other jobs that I am curious about and would like to do at some point in my life.
My dream job, after much consideration and many years of schooling, would be a cross between book editor, publisher and author. I don't necessarily like the formal editing process that happens in professional environments like journalism; I prefer the teaching style, where I can sit down with the writer and discuss their work with them. For me it's about helping someone with their thought process. Writing is just a means of communication, and if you can carry on a conversation you can write. Publishers get to read books and are paid for their time, even if the book is awful and would never be published, and I would also want time to write my own stuff.
Another place that I've always wanted to work is a bookstore. Of course that would come with one major drawback: I would want to spend my entire paycheck there! Unfortunately, with two major bookstore chains closing in my town within six months of each other (Barnes & Noble and Borders), I might not get the chance. With everything online these days, easy ordering, free shipping and major discounts, any bookstore still open is basically a money pit. Used book stores might be able to hold out a bit longer, we'll see.
Not to mention the huge e-book craze that's hit the world. I understand that an electronic book is a lot cheaper than a paper copy, but I am old-school and prefer to turn a book's pages and smell that glue binding. There is just something charming about a book that has seen many hands; books used to be the only reliable way we could pass on our history. What happens when the earth's magnetic poles shift and all our electronics are dead? What will happen to our history then? Sure, that's a worst-case scenario, but it could happen. We still need our paper books. In the end, though, I will probably have to be a millionaire before I can work in a bookstore--then it wouldn't matter if the store's a money pit.
I have also thought about working in a flower shop. I love flowers (and don't say it's just a girl thing! Isn't farming, another profession all about plants, primarily a male profession?) I have an artistic, crafty side and I would have a lot of fun arranging bouquets. When I worked at a nursery, we would often cut flowers from our stock and make mini arrangements to brighten up the cash registers. Some people say why waste money on live flowers when they shrivel up in less than a week, but I can't stand artificial flowers. They get dusty, for heaven's sake. A little living plant can really brighten up a space, especially if they smell nice like gardenias. (Did you know there are flowers out there that actually smell like chocolate? The chocolate cosmos!)
One problem with the last two professions I mentioned is that unless I owned the shop, I'd have to deal with unruly customers according to the store policy and be subject to a boss or manager's whims. Unless they are very nice and unusually pleasant to work with, it would be best to own my own shop. But again, we're talking ideal situations here; if I were to own a business I'd have to spend a lot of time learning about actually running a business.
A job I have enjoyed before and wouldn't mind doing again later in life is reviewing movies. I get to see a movie for free with one or two guests, before it is released to the general public, then I get to say what I liked or didn't like and get paid to write it all down.
Anyway, it's nice to dream sometimes. I have many more years of living to do; who's to say I won't get to do at least one of these jobs?
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