What Happens to a Dream Deferred (Dismissed)?

Tonight while having a phone conversation with someone, he offhandedly summed up my explanation of my future career in magazine journalism as "So, you want to write about other people's lives." I was almost offended by that generalization. At the time, I just brushed it off and continued with the convo, but later when I talked to another free-spirited friend (He's a bomb music producer), I brought the statement up and asked him if I was trippin' or if what dude said was kinda rude. He believed that though dude probably wasn't trying to put me down, his statement was kind of rude. That conclusion resurrected within me the question as to why people on "steady" career tracks tend to dismiss or belittle the idea of others who aim to make a career out of interests involving the arts.

Why don't some people take us seriously? I'm not going to lie. I worry from time to time how well off I will be (considering my taste) with a career in (but not limited to) writing because generally journalism isn't a very lucrative field. On the other hand, I could write a long list of reasons why I should pursue a more "serious" career, but at the end of the day writing is what I love. It's my passion. And now that I've discovered what makes me tick, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure I'm the best at it that I can possibly be.

I just want to encourage everyone that has a dream that seems ridiculous to go for it because when you're on your death bed, you'll be the only one who regrets not taking the route that truly made you happy, either because you were scared or because you cared too much about what people thought. Don't think twice about going for yours. If you want to dance, dance. If you want to sing, sing. If you want to make music, make music. If you want to paint, paint. And if you want to WRITE, do just that.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, please allow me to introduce myself:

Hello, my name is Shari Myles. I interview and write fabulous stories about famous people for a living. I'm good at it and it makes me very happy. Get over it.