If You Could Only Have One Job

[Mission]

If you could only have one job for the rest of your life, what would you want it to be?

Note that I don't mean, if it were 1700 and you could only have one job, I mean right here, right now. (Warning - we tend to project our current situation into the future and that causes us to overlook potential possibilities. Don't fall willingly into that psychological trap.)

[Duchess]

Does professional job hopper count?

[Mission]

Does professional job hopper count?

No. That's like asking for three more wishes. (Although I can see what that would appeal to you.)

[hurricane]

Easy... I'd be what I am now - a writer.

If I had oodles of money, I would be a philanthropist and help others full time.

-- Hurricane

[Duchess]

Does professional job hopper count?

No. That's like asking for three more wishes. (Although I can see what that would appeal to you.)

I thought you'd say that.

I've no idea what I could do that would keep me interested forever.

[Red-Handed Jill]

If I could make a halfway decent living at it, I'd go back to being a marine pathologist. Although I truly loved being a college professor. Perhaps do the marine pathologist thing during the day and teach part time at night?...

[blackjohn]

Professional thinker... yeah... it would be great to get paid to come up with whacky ideas... maybe some of them even useful!

[Black Syren]

Hmm I think something in Forensics..Although i do miss working in advertising..That was fun and yet very demanding..Something that would challenge me...

Or a ghost hunter..lol

[Lady Cassandra Seahawke]

traveler. Can ya get paid just to travel around the world...then to the stars...then...ok, traveling...just traveling seeing new things, meeting new people...new experiences. not getting bored....by traveling.

[HarborMaster]

SCUBA Instructor / Dive Guide

[Ransom]

Gosh, I kinda like what I'm doing now — writing, artwork, and jewelry. But I'm also in agreement with Lady Cassandra. I'd love to do more traveling, especially around the Med.

[Lady Cassandra Seahawke]

oh I am an Administrative Assistant and I do art and jewelry (work in semi precious stones...bringing a bit of coin on the side) too but the question was what ONE job would you like to have the rest of your life and if I could choose only one...Traveling YEP if I could get paid for traveling that would be my dream job.

Edited October 12, 2008 by Lady Cassandra Seahawke

[Mission]

Some of these jobs, while they would be neat, have no income-generating component to them. Why would anyone pay you to do them? (I wish someone would pay me to sit and watch DVDs and eat Cheetos, but that's not a very realistic job goal.)

[Silkie McDonough]

I want to be a Muppeteer.

[Ransom]

Some of these jobs, while they would be neat, have no income-generating component to them. Why would anyone pay you to do them? (I wish someone would pay me to sit and watch DVDs and eat Cheetos, but that's not a very realistic job goal.)

Ummm, well, maybe someone's idea of a dream job would be to get paid for watching DVDs and eating Cheetos. I mean, it could be one of those obscure, scientific experiments where they measure your brainwaves while you watch and eat. Someone probably has a government grant to do just that, trying to prove that Cheetos heighten your audio and visual abilities. Okay, the pay might not be huge, but pay is pay, and if it was your dream job, the small pay wouldn't matter. Personally, even if you paid me, I couldn't stand to sit that long, and I'm not really crazy about Cheetos, but that's just me....so.....

[blackjohn]

Some of these jobs, while they would be neat, have no income-generating component to them. Why would anyone pay you to do them? (I wish someone would pay me to sit and watch DVDs and eat Cheetos, but that's not a very realistic job goal.)

Hey... I thought we were just dreaming...

[Mission]

Hey... I thought we were just dreaming...

Pass me the Cheetos.

[Captain Jim]

Professional thinker... yeah... it would be great to get paid to come up with whacky ideas... maybe some of them even useful!

I'm with Blackjohn on this one. Think tank denizen works for me. Sit about with bright folks, read, bash about ideas, argue, disagree, agree, agree to disagree, write up some reports/treatments and let someone else execute whatever plan, product or script we come up with (we would retain oversight, but not the actual day-to-day grind of execution.)

And, yes, people do actually get paid to do this sort of thing.

If anyone wants my resume, just PM me...I'll be waiting...and waiting...and waiting...

Edited October 13, 2008 by Captain Jim

[Mission]

I'm with Blackjohn on this one. Think tank denizen works for me. Sit about with bright folks, read, bash about ideas, argue, disagree, agree, agree to disagree, write up some reports/treatments and let someone else execute whatever plan, product or script we come up with (we would retain oversight, but not the actual day-to-day grind of execution.)

And, yes, people do actually get paid to do this sort of thing.

Yes, but that's not what Blackjohn said.

I actually met a woman who worked in a think tank when I was in San Francisco last year. I talked about it in this thread, post #28.

[Captain Jim]

I'm with Blackjohn on this one. Think tank denizen works for me. Sit about with bright folks, read, bash about ideas, argue, disagree, agree, agree to disagree, write up some reports/treatments and let someone else execute whatever plan, product or script we come up with (we would retain oversight, but not the actual day-to-day grind of execution.)

And, yes, people do actually get paid to do this sort of thing.

Yes, but that's not what Blackjohn said.

I actually met a woman who worked in a think tank when I was in San Francisco last year. I talked about it in this thread, post #28.

Blackjohn? A clarification if you please; would you think on your own or with others?

[blackjohn]

Obviously, think tank was what was on my mind, assuming Mission pressed us for turning it into a real job.

Consider, if you will, the Cheeto...

[Capt. Sterling]

The current one I have and would never trade for another.... parent.

[silas thatcher]

[The current one I have and would never trade for another.... parent.

wife reading your posts, again ???? i mean, yes, i could not agree more, dear sir.... yeah, it is great, a little trying at times....

sometimes i wonder if we are supposed to learn from them and not the other way around....

[HarborMaster]

Some of these jobs, while they would be neat, have no income-generating component to them. Why would anyone pay you to do them?

It seems there was an assumption income had relevance to the question?

If you could only have one job for the rest of your life, what would you want it to be?

Most people assume if you could have only one job., "Job" there is that nasty word again..., that you are infact doing it because you NEED the income?

Some of us may have reached a point income is not an issue? Could be many things ., perhaps for someone ., the kids have grown up an gone.,the desire to keep up with the "Jones" if you will ., is GONE ., a simpler life that your 401k ., interest on your savings ., and your rents could perhaps take care of you if you chose a simple life., lived below your means? Could be some have a permanent income of whatever sorts? Some may have retired early and a job is something to stay active and ward off the dole-drums ? Could be the Job was actually wanted and not needed. Now we are living......, After all the question was

If you could only have one job for the rest of your life, what would you want it to be?

..., Something to ponder? I've been working hard a long time with an ugly job., in order to fullfill actually doing the job I WANT .., and now yes..., the pay isnt what its all about now......, its all about the fun ., meeting new people everyday! ., this is living ! Life is good man Edited October 14, 2008 by HarborMaster

[Mission]

We should form a pirate think tank. Oh, wait, I'm violating my own stipulations...

That is a good point about income. I have always thought the best "job" would be one you couldn't discern from play. Although it's an odd thing...when you attach a salary to an activity, we tend to psychologically regard it as being different from an enjoyable activity. I think most, if not all, of this is an arbitrary (and learned) differentiation. Money is nothing more than a representation of "value" and it's mostly conceptual (What the hell is a small piece of paper really worth?). So why should being paid in pieces of paper or some other value exchange media reduce enjoyment more than being paid in some perceived form of psychic enjoyment?

When it comes down to it, I think a key to how much you enjoy your daily structured achievement activity (or "job") is how willing you are to put up with the parts you don't like. If the psychic reward provided by the stuff you "like" makes you willing (or even eager) to get through the parts you "don't like", you have an enjoyable "job." ("Laser.")

Job is a loaded word, isn't it? Career? Calling? Life's work? Path?