métier \ met-YAY; MET-yay \ , noun; 1. An occupation; a profession. 2. An area in which one excels; an occupation for which one is especially well suited.

In Congress, I really found my métier . . . . I love to legislate.

-- Charles Schumer, quoted in "Upbeat Schumer Battles Poor Polls and Turnouts and His Own Image", New York Times , May 16, 1998

 

Isn't this the big thing that most of us strive for our entire lives? I know that finding my métier would make my life complete. The only question is... What kind of an occupation am I well suited for?

I don't like to get up early every day. I don't' like being in front of a computer all day. I hate sales. Teaching was not my forte. I do not enjoy having a boss breathing down my neck. I am not a nine to fiver. I start to crack under those circumstances. My house is a mess, laundry piles up, I get stress related illnesses, I never see my friends, I eat fast food, and I can be extremely unkind to my husband. I just don't fit into our society.

 

I would love to just be a hermit who does cave paintings or writes haikus, as long as I didn't have to clock in and out. Or, I would love to be a freelance cook or baker somehow. You know, occasionally come into a restaurant or bakery and concoct some delicious items for a couple days and then move on to the next one. I am not a world famous chef, so I don't think that one is going to work out. Wacky and far-fetched scenarios are about all I can come up with when pressed to describe a job that I would like. Many of the jobs I would love are also typically unpaid volunteer positions like doing crafts at a nursing home or giving tours in a museum. At some point my glorious unemployment will run out and I will have to earn my keep.

I congratulate the artists and musicians in my life for not selling out. Kudos to my hard working pals who slave away every day to put a roof over their head and occasionally buy me a drink.