What does one do with a life?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 20:50:00 +0000

      What does one do with a life?
      More specifically, what does one do with their life?
This is a question I've found myself pondering more and more often over the past few years. At times, I feel as if I'm stalled at a crossroads and need to step onto a path and move forward, and other times I feel content with the progress of my life.
I am a teacher and have summers off. I told myself before the summer began that I would spend a considerable amount of time pondering my future, and I have effectively avoided the task for several weeks now. I always suffer mild malaise throughout the first few weeks of vacation. Our culture does not encourage or reward time away from work. I have it hard-wired into my head that anytime spent just hanging out is time wasted, and I always struggle with anxiety the first few weeks of vacation. Oh, poor me. It's so hard to have ten weeks off.
      This time seems so important not to waste because I don't get much satisfaction from my job. I teach middle school, eighth grade language arts and social studies. Next year will be my seventh year at my current job, although I've been in education for over ten years.
      I'm tired of education.
      I don't like teaching middle school children.
      I don't like the administration at my school.
      I don't want to be a teacher anymore. I won't bore any of you with the reasons, but suffice it to say that it is something that I have pondered for the better part of the past six years.
      I want to make a change, but I'm not sure what I can do.
      I'm 37 years old. I have a mortgage and both my wife and I have a ridiculous amount of student loans to payoff. My wife and I want to start a family. These things seem to get in the way of considering a life change. I get paid well, and I have decent insurance coverage (although it's not as good as it was a few years ago). I'm not sure what else I am capable of doing and quite frankly it feels like time is against me.
      Maybe this is a defeatist way of thinking, but I'm still left with the question I started with: what do I do with my life?

P.S. The video below always helps me when I need a boost in spirit.

Crypt Orchid Cables

What does one do with a life?