Screw this

I had a dream last night that I was working at a hardware store. I was happily selling nuts and bolts, and the odd two-by-four, to smiling patrons who were already envisioning the parties they would host in their remodeled family room. And the funniest part of the dream was that I was loving every minute of it (even the part where the entire staff came down with swine flu and I was the only one left to hold down the fort...it's a dream, ok, give me a break!)

I know why I had the dream. That's obvious to most people who know me. I'm anxious. I am looking for an existance that includes a stress-free job. And to those who know me (you know who you are), you also know that I would be completely miserable selling screws (the nuts and bolts kind) to contractors and husbands with a honey-do list. And, to those who do that for a living -- I apologize as I am certain there is a ton of stress in dealing with people (like me) 8-hours a day who think they know a nut from a ....well, you get the point. This is not in any way minimizing the stress involved in working at a hardware store.

My point, I suppose, the point of my dream, is that I get bored very easily. And, I have, for a brief moment, contemplated scrapping it all for a job at Home Depot (or Lowe's...as I'm told they are a better company to work for). But, we all know that there are no "stress-free" day jobs, right?

I don't believe my calling is to work at Lowe's (my friend Jane set me straight on that one), but I will always be the kind of person to expect more. Isn't that the whole point of being here? To expect greatness? So I work at a decent "day job" through the week, and in my spare time I do what I love. That's the reality of my journey (for now), until some big publishing house decides to sign me for a 3-book deal, with a huge advance...and the rest will be history.

I'm thinking, in the end, selling hardware may not be the best fit for me. As much as I can relate to the thrill of selecting a new bedroom color--I'm not convinced that I could really care that much if Joe the Plumber finds just the right PVC pipe fitting for his next job.