During a recent cross-state drive with my wife, she asked me a classic question that most of us have pondered: “If you could do anything with your life…”
A risky question to answer back to your life-partner to be sure, but I was in the mood and off we went.
After a few minutes of conversation it became clear that the inspiration for the question was the perceived notion that, somehow, national health care in the United States will allow many of us tied to jobs that provide, above everything else, access to decent health care solutions, foregiving the reality of pre-existing health conditions, the freedom to pursue that which we really love. Money would suddenly be the bottom line.
Once freed from the need to add value to an organization large enough to qualify for group health care insurance, what would I truly love to do in order to add not just financial value to my family but core value to my life? A heady question to be pondered while driving a vehicle at 70+ MPH in heavy traffic.
My first instict was to dismiss the question all together as a worthless pursuit of fantasy. I have little faith in the national government of the United States and its ability to provide a workable solution to a problem so ingrained into the culture and financial construct of our society. My family in particular is trapped in the cycle of pre-existing conditions and thus, a “no-questions asked” token from a new employer is our only solution to being able to afford the financial support we need to maintain the health of our family.
A solution from President Obama and friends? Maybe. A good solution? Doubtful.
Some debate and raw arguing led to my acceptance of the premise that “if” the federal government was able to provide for our family’s health care issues with little more than a minimal financial buy-in, what would I like to do with the rest of my life to provide the financial tools necessary to pay for everything else that we need?
At that point I put my cards on the table and told my lovely wife of 16+ years that I would like to be a nature photographer. You know, an Ansel Adams sort of guy. Finding beauty in nature and, frankly, selling the images I created to represent it to the people of the world? Honey???
I lost her.
Thus is the problem with telling people about your dreams. You’ve had every day of your adult life to develope and refine those dreams in your mind. You have a clear vision of what it is that you want to be, some sort of path that will lead you to your ultimate success, and a confidence that achieving this goal will feed your soul like little else will.
My wife thought I was nuts and fought with me for at least 30 miles of our trip. And so it went and we eventually arrived at our destination. Unfortunately for her, I was still out shooting pictures of the world in my mind for much of the afternoon.
Never let a rat trapped in a cage dream of freedom. He just might force you to pay the price of having him go for it.
