Dreamy jobs?

In past years, when asked to describe my “dream-something” (dream house, dream car, dream friend, etc), I studiously avoided the letter of the assignment. For example with the “dream house” assignment. I was supposed to write an essay (in German), describing the house I could have, reality not being an object. I kind of cheated, because I didn't write about a house I wanted, but instead about a house that I had actually dreamed about. I'm not sure if the instructor was amused (but let's find out, shall we?), though I did receive an A. So this semester I have to complete a “Dream Job”-related assignment for a journalism class. My dream job is to get paid for breathing, thanks, but I figure that won't really fly. So I'm stuck talking about my “Dream Job” in the vein of my potential and impending career, which I hope to hell fits at least the tax on the bill. And even then, there's contention.

This is the story of two Dream Jobs, fighting it out in the streets of my life.

I've always wanted to teach – I knew it from the time I was six. In fact, for many years, I wanted to be a 1st grade teacher, though I later came to my senses. But high school was a viable option, so when offered the choice, I chose to major in Secondary English Education. Gonna be a high school English teacher. Yup. It all sounds well and good, but of course, things got complicated. To quote an ex, “an old friend just told me they're interested in me and I really want to see where that's going.” Enter German, aka The Other Woman ('cause yes, it's my bitch, no?).

German and I had been friends for a long time, so in order to get Humanities credits, I took German classes while still pursuing Secondary Ed. We were tight, German and I. So tight, that I abandoned the idea of teaching English, and instead strove to teach German. Unfortunately this story doesn't end too well. Very few German teaching jobs exist at all, on any level, and I am not particularly disposed to relocate. I could research, but that would probably still mean relocating. And frankly, I'm into teaching, not translation. So, back to English I went, though I kept seeing German on the side, as a sneaky little double-major liaison. I was a good girl and dutifully completed the requirements for both majors, knowing that I would have to drop German eventually and well, that's a sad thought. I covered my bases, though, by applying to both grad programs, knowing I'd have to choose just one. Okay, but then things got complicated. Again.

It's less of a street fight and now it's a bizarre love affair.

Turns out that Education doesn't pay. I don't mean that in a cruel way, it's just a very expensive date, and I'm not sure it's worth the price of dinner. Basically, German is making a better pitch, and it's very disconcerting. English Education is the sure thing and German is the fun thing. Can I make it work out? Can I ... craft...a solution that works from all this, while retaining whatever-it-is that I call sanity these days?


Put another way, it's like there's this damn pillow and a fairy ring just being presented to me. “Here, take it,” the pillow beckons, “a fun new dream right here for the taking.”

So. What would you do? Would you go for the solid, the known, or would you take the fairy ring?