Back when I was a kid (ok, a century or so ago), one thing I thought I might like to try is psychology. I read about it, I dreamed about it. And although I didn’t have a clue about what a psychologist did, I thought that sounded like a pretty cool career. Of course, I had my psychology-career-to-be convoluted with a bunch of other things–like “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill and “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie.
One of the great things about growing older is that you get a chance to go back and relive some of your childhood dreams. An astronaut, a Mountie (Canadian Royal Canadian Mounted Police), a science fiction hero. All some of the things I thought I might have been.
As life went on, the adventure continued. I actually became a musician–not one of my original dreams, but an adventure nonetheless. I also learned how to sell. I wasn’t a great salesman, but a salesman nonetheless.
I also learned all about pianos. Remember them? Those huge wooden furniture pieces that contained a huge metal harp and a gazillion strings? I actually made a living for several years repairing and tuning these monsters! I also learned enough about electronics (back when devices still had vacuum tubes!) to repair electronic organs! No, not human organs for transplant–but there used to be a musical instrument called the electronic organ. And it the “organ” was popular enough that people made living selling them as well. And learning to play them, and teaching others to learn how to play them! There were things called retail stores where people actually sold pianos and organs to other people!
Okay. That was a long way back. Now there are still a few retail stores. However, finding a piano and organ store, if you really wanted to find one, is just about a non-starter. One of my favorite YouTube channels is of a “kid” named Florian Hutter, somewhere in Europe, who plays a Wersi organ–one of the well-known electronic organ brand names at one time. Apparently, Wersi is still being manufactured!
After I left the music business (after the music business left me?), still played once in awhile. I even learned how to strum a guitar–which I occasionally still do. However, I changed professions and industries completely, and became a registered nurse–a health care professional! Wow, what a change!
Well not really. As I’ve come to realize, all “professions” are just variations on a theme. You are putting yourself at service to other human beings. Some of those services are more useful–more serviceable–than others. That is they are more valuable, pay more, and may (0r may not) have more prestige attached to them.
Ultimately, what I’ve found out, however, is that it really doesn’t matter what your profession is. In fact, it really doesn’t even matter whether or not you have at profession. What eventually matters is how you served others! How did you make them feel. And how did your activity–you effort–change their lives. For better, for worse. Over a long period of time or momentarily.
The graphic at the top of this article asks “tell us how you want to be remembered”. In truth, perhaps you will not be remembered. However, as hard as you might try to do otherwise, you WILL make a difference–to someone, something, perhaps some course of events. Whether you will be remembered at all is a moot point.
The better question is this:
WHAT KIND OF DIFFERENCE DO YOU WANT TO MAKE?
