MY DREAM JOB

I'm sure each one of us has a dream job that we aspire to, realistically or not. Some people do reach their labor of love. They are the lucky ones, or the hard-workers who slaved away until they got what they wanted, or those that made a deal with the devil.

I'm not any of those.

I've been lucky with work. I haven't had too much trouble finding a way to pay the bills, and every once in a while, I truly enjoyed what I was doing. Going back to the first example, Pizza Hut was an accident.

I was bored with my life because of an unfortunate incident with my driving and the suspension of my privileges. You never know how inconvenient walking can be until you HAVE to! I figured I may as well work while I was hoofing it, so I applied and got a part-time cook position, in addition to the full-time job I had. I loved it.

The excitement of a Friday night was incomparable when it seemed like everyone in the state was coming in to satisfy their addiction to pan pizza. My laid-back attitude was already firmly in place at that the still young age of 24ish and it came in handy when there was just a few cooks and 50 pizzas to create every hour. To me it was fun. I knew I was making a great meal for someone and took pride in seeing it come out picture perfect.

I eventually went full-time with them and it lead to my first opportunity as a paid leader. Good times. Those were some of the best memories I will ever have, no doubt. The camaraderie of the managers led to many a night spent tapping beers, telling stories until the sun came up. Great times, even when we had to sleep in the dining room...

It wouldn't be until I got into the insurance business five years later that I really found my niche. The experience there led to many, many priceless moments and it allowed me to see some of this world we live on, meet hundreds of great folks, and find some friends I still have today. But that still wasn't my dream job.

I wanted to be a stay-at-home Dad.

Not because I felt the job was easier than working, exactly the opposite. I know that having kids wasn't just funny faces and coochie coochie giggles. It takes patience, a firm belief in what you are doing, and saying no to those puppy dog eyes is NOT easy! Getting a child really ready for this cold cruel world is a task not everyone is made for.

I knew I was.

My own life seemed to prepare me for it, yet I never was lucky enough to find their mother. I had opportunities of course, but I wanted to have someone worthy to help me raise our rugrats in a loving, nurturing, and compassionate household. No single parenting, no babysitters, no missed opportunities to show my brats I cared about them and what they were doing.

They may have not turned out perfect in the real world, but in my mind, they were human beings to be proud of. Making mistakes but learning from them. Helping those that needed it, enjoying their life no matter how the cards were dealt, and it wouldn't have been too bad if at least one played professional ball! Nice thoughts....

I guess we will never know how it REALLY would have turned out, but I still have my dreams....