"What do you want to do"

Onset:

She asked me what "I wanted to do"…It was odd, because at the time I was on the brink of a crazy sucessful career. With a fancy masters degree in Engineering from a decently ranked school. Coupled with a lucrative job offer from a big time consulting company. It wasn't necessarily weird, but jus a different and somewhat interesting question. 

I mean I was about to start all this swanky government work in the pretentious Washington DC area. With the word 'Engineering' in my background, and coming out of an average family, not particularly known for education, people certainly treated my 'new life' like an anomaly. I laugh at the expression of a 'new life', because my idea of a 'new life' is when you somehow manage to change your outlook on the world. 

You know, when you make a conscious decision to affect and influence the world and the society around you in a way that will not only changes your life, but the lives of everyone who reads your story. 

You see, finishing a degree in math, followed by one in engineering, then going on to solve problems for the government…Well that is certainly a mark of success, and I am proud of it, but I have to say, that that is nothing in comparison to helping create the world in which you wish to see. 

Nevertheless, People were genuinely excited about this 'new life', and I mean particularly the financial aspect of it. The details of my job description along with my pay rate were consistent sources of conversation to my friends and family, as of late. To be fair, I would never diminish this adoration from my loved ones, because it typically comes with any level of success and I will forever mark this as love. More often than not tho, what happens in society, is we mark 'life changes' with any financial or status change, and we disregard the idea that there may be more to someone's visions of their life. In both their and my opinion it would be dishonest to glorify something as simple as a status change. It would be taking away from the long journey we wish to take, in order to leave this world with something a little more selfless and monumental. Sometimes when the people around us glorify the idea of you simply making more money, or acquiring nice things, we as individuals forget that we personally don't care so much about those things. We forget that there are more important advancements that we hold near to our heart. We eventually find ourselves chasing things that only matter to the people around us, but are actually minute to the inner core of who we. I call this consumerism and the idea of keeping up with the modern day Jones'. Please don't get me wrong tho, I believe that getting married, having kids, and making money are great feats in life, but even after acquiring these positive status changes, some of us yearn for something a little more philo- or philanthropic in life. 

This is why I was so taken aback when my sister asked me the incredulous question of "what I wanted to do".  You see, I hadn't been asked this question in a very long time. The reason being, that based on the educational path I had chosen, people assumed that "what I wanted", outside of the obvious good health and happiness, was a fancy high paying job to furnish the fancy needs I would eventually acquire. I understand that this is a common mentality for people, especially young, but my incredible sister is far from the common individual you will ever meet. You see, she is so far unimpressed by the majority of what society, at least on the surface, has to offer. She see's things differently than most, and she doesn't suffer from being let down by the different materials that the world has to offer. She never experiences the curse of becoming complacent or putting a cap on her life or her career. It is incredible, the level of contentment that she harnesses in her life, and her constant attempt to grow and do more. The affect that she can have on those whom she encounters could be major if allowed. 

So, here I sit as if theres a revolution that has been incited within me. Its almost as if I am on the brink of change and promise, and that is amidst all the blessings I have already experienced (Far beyond the ones that show on the surface). 

Yesterday my sister asked me "what I wanted to do", and today I haven't exactly narrowed it down, but I realize that it Is far more than engineer and pay cash for nice things. I realize that I haven't quite answered the question, but also that there's a chance that my words may one day echo. The truth is, that keeping them to myself and reciting them in the shower or in the car, dreaming that someone will one day hear, will never warrant that type of positive influence. 

So, for now, her(my sister) suggestion is that I write, and I'll hope that one day, my words may eventually incite a revolution in someone else. 

Here goes nothing…