I spent most of yesterday hanging out with my cousins, Eric and Frankie. Eric spent quite a bit of time trying to talk me out of pursuing an Army career. He says I should join the fire department instead, or at the very least do the Army part-time and be a full-time firefighter. I don't know what to do. I love the Army and I can't see myself not being an officer, so I know that I'll complete ROTC and get my commission. The main problem lies with where to go from there. I want to do so many things! I want to make a difference, but I can't choose how. I want to be a politician, an attorney, a firefighter, a soldier, and a professor...but I can only have one (or two). So what do I choose? I know, only I can make that decision...but it's so difficult! Some people can't even come up with one thing that they'd like to do; I can't narrow it down! I guess too many choices and too few are pretty much the same thing.
Could I be a firefighter? Most of my friends say they can't see me doing that anyway; but that's because most of them can't see me doing anything other than the Army since it's been so central to my personality for as long as they've known me. But what about teaching? I want to teach history too. Ugh! Why must I have so many interests?
Of course, the fact that my dad doesn't seem to be very pleased with any of my potential career choices doesn't help much. I know he doesn't want me to go into the Army (whether enlisted or as an officer), and he doesn't seem to get too excited when I talk about wanting to be a professor. He was indifferent when I lightly mentioned what my cousin had said about joining the fire department. I have no idea what he would rather see me do. It seems that in order to make him proud I just have to find a career (like computer programming or something) that would bring in lots of money. Unfortunately, all the possible careers that really interest me are ones where I won't ever become a millionaire. I have to make my final decision by next September, when I transfer to UCLA; that will be when I have to finally contract into ROTC or be forced to separate. I hate the real world.
posted at 11:45