Just some thoughts on careers

Course selection for the next school year is coming up, and to be honest, I have no idea what I am doing. Like so many others in my school and around the world, I don't have a long-term plan. I don't know what program I want to go into. I don't know what University I want to go to. I don't know what country I want to live in. I don't know what job I want to have. I can't say to myself, "This is where I will be in five years" because I don't know where I'll be and what I will be doing. I hardly no who I am now, let alone who I might become.

Still though, I can't help but remember all those times in grades 1, 2, and 3 when people would ask all us little kiddies, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" And of course, the boys would reply with police man, fire fighter, doctor, etc. and the girls would happily say ballerina, teacher, nurse, princess (WHAT?), etc. We have all these stereotypes about who we should be and who we should become, but I leave the concepts and implications of gender stereotypes to be talked about on another day.

I do remember though, that I wanted to become a pianist. And everyone laughed. It could have been because I had said pianist a little strangely (and it probably sounded something like penis at the time... speaking of which, I only just realized this a couple seconds ago, haha), but I had internalized it as laughter against my hope to become a musician. I still don't know whether I want to be a musician or not, but I do now know that it shouldn't matter what other people think. If I want to become a pianist or a cellist or a music teacher or an ethnomusicologist or a musical therapist or a physist or music-related engineer then by all means, I should not let their laughter get in the way! Because music is my life, and if I love it and make it my profession, I will be simply living and laughing and loving each and every day. Work no longer becomes tedious work. Work instead becomes play.

And that's the beauty of doing what you love. So remember, whether it's music or anything else for you, do what makes you live laugh love, and good luck with your good life.