Dr. Laura and me.

At the risk of sounding like a complete jerk, I'm going to bring up something that I find both sad and amusing. Dr. Laura's radio show. I laugh almost every time I listen to her - either about something she says or the ridiculous reason that someone is calling in. "Should I dump my boyfriend, Dr. Laura, if he's cheating on me?" "You should've dumped him before you let it get this far. It's all your fault that you're miserable now." "Oh, Dr. Laura, thank you so much! That's exactly what my sister said, but I wasn't sure, so I called you...."

Or...I like this one better...

"Dr. Laura, I'm trying to get my son involved in sports, but he's not into sports, and he has a hard time making friends."
"How old is your son?"
"He's nine."
"Well, at that age, he should be more social. And you say he's into artsy stuff? Have you thought that perhaps he's gay? Children at that age aren't that shy unless they're hiding something...."

The audacity of that woman! I can't BELIEVE some of the things she says, and the way her needy callers salivate over her common sense - or completely wacko - suggestions. It's actually quite infuriating once I stop laughing and really consider that these people truly rely on her for the decisions they make in life. And some people call her about some enormous, life-changing situations. When I disagree with her, which is half of the time, I want so badly to call her and tell her on the air....but what's the use? She would whip out some sort of psychological babble that would end up making me into the weirdo. So I'll blog about it instead.

Her show actually got me thinking about something. A woman called in and asked if she should support her husband as he makes a career change, even if that means they wouldn't be able to buy a house for their small family. Dr. Laura actually said to her that it was her husband's job to HAVE a job and to keep it even if he hates it, because a job isn't supposed to make you happy, it's supposed to pay your bills. Huh. I wonder how much Dr. Laura gets paid, and whether or not SHE likes her job. And Dr. Laura was sure to include that her husband was happy in his job - but perhaps he didn't have to make a career change to be happy. This was one of the many instances in which my jaw dropped while listening to her show. If jobs were meant only for the purpose of making money - then Compassion International wouldn't be around. Not-for-profit humanitarian organizations wouldn't be around. The people who begin these noble causes around the world don't do it so they can support their family in their house-buying pursuits - they do it out of a calling. Can't a job be a calling? Isn't it worth it to make sacrifices to fulfill a dream? Sure, some people work to survive, and it doesn't matter to them whether they like their job or not. However, I think Dr. Laura missed the whole point. If a person senses that their job is a dead end for them, and they find no fulfillment in how they're using their time away from their family, that's what I call a symptom of not living the dream. Because regardless of how much money they make, they ARE sacrificing forty hours per week or more, advancing their bosses' dreams. It seems a little counter-productive. Can't a dream extend beyond stability?

Take my husband and me, for example. We're both on the brink of life-changing decisions. And trust me, it's scary. We're looking at a state that is totally different than the one we're living in - he has acquaintances and business partners there, but that's about all. Our family and friends are here. I too, am making a career change. I'm going into the medical field. Trust me, it gets petrifying to think about. I'm completing my EMT-Basic certification requirements really soon, and then I'll be able to practice. The next step is more school. I'm planning to go into respiratory care, and if we're not totally broke later, I want to specialize in a very specific topic of international health: tuberculosis. My husband, on the other hand, is embarking upon his life-long dreams of keeping the family business alive and doing what he does really well: entrepreneurship. All the while, there are bills to pay, and incidentals which we haven't totally figured out yet.

Basically, we're going our own way, and I like that.