I want to be... a Narrator!
Hi there. You've caught me in a thinking space! What were you thinking about when you read this? Right now, I'm thinking about what I want to do in my life. What sort of job or role could I have in this world (something real, something that exists, something tangible, something practical (pays some money)) that would let me be happy and content at least 75% of the time. I want to wake up excited to go to work. I want the 40 hours of work that I do per week to feel integrated into my life. I really want to love my job, and I want it to be sustainable.
So my mind wandered into a territory that has just recently been materializing in my brain for at least the last 6 months. In my head, I imagine it as a landmass rising out of the ocean or a map that's being sketched for the first time whilst exploring a new land (side note: isn't it absolutely crazy how maps were made historically? how do you even go about it with no point of reference?). These are the borders of the new territory: I keep being drawn to the word "narrator." I really like the concept of storytelling. I like identifying plants-- but more broadly, I like putting name to things, learning who they are and what their language is, and seeing patterns in nature. I love being outside and I love being around people. I love when people love being outside and are charmed by its beauty. But I especially like things with little pretense (which is why I might prefer plants and animals to some genres of people). I really like working with kids. Like a lot. Writing and producing a children's play was one of the highlights of my life. I have rarely felt so fulfilled! I really like talking to people, especially young people and I probably would like talking to old people too if I meet the right kind. I don't really love smartphones. I like hearing about people's life experiences, especially the ones that are strange. It reminds me of what my high school history teacher used to say: always notice the strange things when reading a historical text. That will tell you what is really happening. The strange things are the real things.
Anyways, all that to say, I've just been drawn a lot to art (media?) and to journalism (?) and to... communication? Science communication? I looked up environmental journalist it but doesn't seem to really capture what I want to do. I don't really want to just write articles for an outlet... I kind of want to create something like the Wild Kratts except more contemporary and also for adults? I want to capture more of the social and political themes that are all relevant to adults today, but imbue it with child-like hope and whimsy. But who will pay me to do that?? And what would that job even be? I want to be outside! I want to be talking to people! I want other people to experience what that feels like, to feel curious, and to have curiosity be satiated. To feel excited about the world around them. Without that excitement, is life really worth living?
I'm reflecting on the fact that I really enjoyed my day at work last Friday. Most of the time , work has been kind of meh. Especially the lab work. It's also hard to work around people who sometimes feel like they don't really want to be there. On Friday my boss and I got to work on an exceptional project where we got to kayak around ponds in Plymouth identifying native and invasive aquatic plants. It made me miss biology deeply, and it was truly such a perfect day at work. How can I capture the essence of that day and find something that would embody that most of the time? The true answer, I know, is that it doesn't exist. What I want to do is not a real job yet. But how can I make it be? Those are my thoughts on it for now. Till next time.
Love,
A
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