Life is But a Dream

Well, it’s official. I am a cliche for middle age.

Last night after work I had to dash over to the Chamber of Commerce business expo for my stint at my company’s booth. This is an annual event where local businesses display their wares for consumers (who actually attend these things voluntarily). They wander around wearing vacant smiles and carrying plastic bags filled with free pencils, chip clips, magnets, and other marketing memorabilia–all fine additions to any home decor.

Manning the booth with my co-worker and good friend, Maria, helped the time go by faster. Sarcastic comments about our booth placement–in the back of the room, facing the wall, the customer to whom I always refer as Maria’s boyfriend (a guy who looks like a cartoon hippopotamus but who thinks he’s Vin Diesel), and talking about what we’d really like to do with our lives passed the time nicely for us.

We also got to catch up with our former co-worker, Trish, who was there representing her new company. Like us, she still works in advertising sales and, like us, she hates it. We are all in our early to mid forties and have been working inside as well as outside the home all of our adult lives. As Trish approached I noticed that she looks as tired as I feel.

 

She laughed as she said, “I keep asking myself, what are you doing with your life??!!” Her smile kind of froze and the laughter never quite made it to her eyes. The statement came out in a semi-shriek. Maria and I squealed our agreement.

Sales is grueling. There are never ending quotas. One project barely closes out before another begins. Lately, everyone has decided that starting an advertising publication is the direct route to easy street so the business owners have more people streaming through their doors selling than buying. It stands to reason that they are less than thrilled when we come charging in with our brightly colored flyers to hawk the latest GREAT package deal.

Maria wants to own a retail store. Her true sense of style and her natural good taste in clothing, accessories, and furnishings would no doubt lead her to success in a cool little shop in our downtown area. She’s also pretty, friendly, and honest. People love to talk to her. Upon first introduction, they seem to feel she has the answers to all of the burning questions in their lives. We laugh constantly about people sharing way too much information with her. But in a personal item retail setting it could really work for her.

Trish is a problem solver. She is a Git-R-Done person if I have ever met one. I think it’s the Libra in her but she will not be discouraged. Her quick wit and intense tenacity coupled with curiosity is like Sarah Jessica Parker meets Sherlock Holmes. Forensics, private investigation, or legal work would be right up her alley.

I am bashing myself for not becoming a food critic/travel writer. What was I thinking?? Free meals, free trips, writing about it all. What job could be more perfect? But my current pipe dream is to own the bookstore I frequent on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. I duck in there for respite when the day is stressful, dreary, or I simply need something good to read. It isn’t fancy. In fact it’s in an old building that used to be a little grocery market. The woman who owns the store started it as a used book swap shop in her home. She and her daughters, then teenagers, ran it together. A long way from Barnes and Noble it is what booklovers really love–full of new and used books. The tattered carpeting matches the tattered musty smelling pages of thousands of books read by who knows who, who knows where over the years. That’s a good bit of the allure right there.

Two cats, named Simon and Schuster, comfortably roam the place, greeting customers and graciously accepting ear scratching and petting without prejudice. The striped one is asleep on the copy machine every single time I’m there. I find it necessary to say, each and every time, “Look! It’s a copy cat!” It’s so clever that I can’t even find shame in the fact that it’s obvious and has become repetitive.

Anyway, that would be a nice place to pass the days. Knowing right where everything is and having something to satisfy every taste, need, or new curiosity would suit my people pleasing passion. Besides, I imagine myself lounging around reading all day while others stack, sort, and shuffle through the wonderful mess.

Hey, it’s my dream. I can be lazy in it if I want to.

Take care today and dream your dreams.