Kristal: Good point. The great one (Oprah) once said that we can only make “happiness” our goal once we actually know what makes us happy.

Darwin: Hey, you never have to apologize for long comments; I really appreciate your thoughts. I especially like what you’ve said about *not* being unhappy and *not* being discontent. I might not know if I’m 100% on the “right” track, but I do know that I’m not on the “wrong” one. And, maybe that okay for now.

AWE: That’s funny! :)

El: Own a small theater!!! Own a small theater!!! Chicago is a *GREAT* city for theater!!! :)

History Chic: And thank *you* for reading and participating / commenting.

Howard: Really??? Are you going to take classes there? That would be really cool! But, I must admit … I think the lounge act thing would be even better!! :) By the way, Bro *LOVES* techno like nobody’s business.

mel: If you have desires that you’d like to pursue that have little (or nothing) to do with your children, that does NOT make you selfish. That makes you human. By the way, your comment about being 47 reminds me of that part in the famous Mary Schmich column where she says: “Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.”

The Original Bro: I think that’s GREAT!

MamaChristy: That’s a great outlook — go for the things that you find interesting and creative instead of going for a particular “job”.

AmyD: Random sidenote — after all of the results of the election came in, I thought of you. Glad things worked out the way that they did … And, yes, it’s quite possible that we’re *ALL* fucked, but I don’t think so. :)

Momok: The young wanna be older, the older ones wanna be young. The key really does seem to be to learn to live in the here and now.

Mitch: That’s great! :)

Donna: WHAT?!?!?! Does this mean that you’re *not* a rockstar???? I feel so misled. You’re not the person that I thought you were.

Nat: Yummy foreigners. That’s a great title for a post. :)

The Genius: Yeah, I always go back to The Great One’s (Oprah) comments: to have happiness as a goal, we have to know what it is that makes us happy. From what you’ve written, it sounds like you know. For me, the kicker is, as you say: “am I happy enough”? Maybe I think too much. Oh, and, yes … Howard is very precious; he’s a rare gem in the internet world.

Pegs: THANKS for the link! I read “Eleven” and it was GREAT! :)

eddie: I think it’s okay to have perfection as our goal, as long as we know that it’s never actually possible.

In short, I’d like to be perfect.

(But I’d settle for the first three)

And I think I’d really like to be a photographer if this writing thing doesn’t pan out.

Given the number of people who replied to this post you are definately not alone. I think I’m in the camp that says, “I want to be happy.” The only problem with that is I’m trying to figure out what it is that will make me happy. I’m happy right now, so does that mean I’ve made it (I’m a grown up). Hmmm, can I get happier – what about those days when I’m super happy but that’s because I’ve spent the day outdoors, in the sunshine, walking around a city I love and then spending the evening with people who never fail to make me laugh (To me, that’s true happiness). It’s even better when I’ve worked my butt off all week to finish a project. Ok now I’m sharing incomplete thoughts, but sometimes that’s just how it has to be.

Oh and this is random – but Howard I like both your career paths. I think you’d be very entertaining in either – and that’s just from reading what you write here.

1. a teacher – 4th grade
2. a veternarian – 7th grade
3. CIA – 8th grade
4. lawyer – 9th grade
4. rock star – 10th thru 12th grade
5. photographer – fresh/soph college
6. a copywriter – jr college
7. a graphic artist – sr college (after I was about to graduate with the wrong degree)

Now I’m going BACK to school to get what I wanted to get in the 1st place, and probably decide that I want to be something else instead :) We all are indecisive and have insecurities. It’s the journey, like Darwin said.

In short, you’re definately NOT alone in having those sort of thoughts. For one, I don’t think any of us EVER grow up (completely). As for what I want to be when I grow up, I’m doing it – living each day and having a good time.

Everything else is incidental…

The fact that we do feel homesick says a lot about us and the people in our lives

I do get the feeling that everything is just flying past me.

When I was much younger, I couldn’t wait to grow up and do adult stuff, now that i’m here, I want to be a kid again and not worry about anything else but stress over excuses, that I need to come up with, to prove that the broken window is not my fault!!! Honest, it wasn’t my fault.

Ahh, that ever-elusive question of “what do I want to be when I grow up?…” My dad always tells me he still doesn’t know that answer to that question, and since he’s almost 60, I figure I might as well stop asking myself this bullshit and just try to find what I will enjoy doing, even if only for a little while.

I’ve been doing some soul-searching after the election. Yes, I still have my job for another 4 years now, but do I really WANT it? Ugh, I hate these questions, because I ALWAYS feel insecure by the blank thoughts that follow when I ask myself.

So, basically, you aren’t alone, but maybe that just means we’re all fucked. ;o)

Some days I think I am grown up and doing what I want to do (mothering). But then I think about what I want to do when the kids are in school and I can do things for me that also make money. I never really chose what I wanted to be when I was working; I was open to whatever jobs sounded like they were fun and worthwhile. Perhaps I will just wait and see what my next profession will be.