March 4, 2007

About that Road . . .

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 9:28 am

The Roads Not Traveled

It started with William Tully’s post, New meme? (likely not), in which he considers the “5 Goals He Never Took Seriously.” William gently tapped Robert Hruzek on the shoulder, asking what his answer to the same question would be. Robert wrote a post called The Roads Not Traveled in which he describes goals that “didn’t make the cut.” At the end of his post, Robert passes the question to David Armano, Matthew Stibbe, and me. It appears those two are like the boys in the neighborhood where I grew up — they’re waiting for me to go first. So here I go.

A Road Through a Mountain Forest

As soon as I saw Robert’s post I was reminded of a silly psychological test that asks for four descriptions. (You might want to read that test, to find out about your road and my road, before you read on. Go ahead, I’ll wait here.)

I bring up that test and my road, because my road has been such good one. It has wound and turned and let me try to so many things. It has been a windy road indeed. I’ve been a teacher since I was 10, a wholesale shirt sales rep, a writer, editor, and publisher, and a corporate strategist.

Yeah, my road is a windy one. My friend, Peg says she’s never seen me walk in a straight line. So thinking up goals that I never followed is nigh on to impossible. I’ve been thinking for days about Robert’s challenge and here’s what I found.

Five Goals I Never, Ever Wanted to Pursue

It seems as if I tried most things that I thought I might want to be part of my life. But there were some side roads that I was happy to walk right by. Those roads might be just as worthy an answer, at least I hope so, because here they are.

  1. I never, ever wanted to be a doctor, nurse, dentist, or any other sort of healthcare professional. Even when I was short and still in grade school, I didn’t want to give people injections or have to make them hurt to help them get better.
  2. I never, ever wanted to be a skydiver, a moutain climber, bungee jumper, or a wingwalker. Falling from high places wasn’t my idea of a good time.
  3. I never, ever wanted to be a astronaut, live on a spaceship, or be an astronomer. I like to keep my relationship with the universe on a romantic and magical plane of wonder.
  4. I never, ever wanted to be a roadie, a groupie, or a raging fan. I’m not good a racing after, lugging stuff, or in general being part of groups that follow blindly. I get bored too easily.
  5. I never, ever wanted to be a clueless, dorky, invisible teenager, but I managed to be one anyway. Go figure.

Life has so much to offer and I’ve always found that each new step is one that perfectly followed the step that was before it. I never spent too much time thinking about where I had to get, I always knew I’d be getting somewhere outstanding, if I followed what I do well and what I love.

There was the day I realized that I was too old to be a major league baseball player . . . but that was so long ago I can’t remember how that felt.

They say turnabout is fair play. I’m not sure this is what they meant. What are the things on your list of never, ever wanted to do?

–ME “Lia” Strauss

Related
The Road: A Simple 4 Part Psycholocial Survey of Attitudes


Filed under SOB Business, Successful Blog, ZZZ-FUN |



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11 Comments to “About that Road . . .”

  1. March 4th, 2007 at 10:59 am
    GOALS said

    Well, since you asked, I never wanted to:

    - Become a computer programmer, but I did it anyway because the industry was booming at the time (don’t do it any more though :) )
    - Have a boss (so I don’t)
    - Sing in a choir (just never had the urge)
    - Have my own blog (although that may change)
    - Be a clueless, dorky, invisible teenager, but I managed to be one anyway. Go figure.

    Justin
    (check out my new website - http://www.goalposting.net)

  2. March 4th, 2007 at 11:08 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Justin,
    Welcome! It looks like you got wrestled those goals under control. :)

    So you got stuck in that clueless, dorky, invisible teenager thing too. Hmmmm. Maybe it was in the water.

    I’m going to check out that website — the one I wish was a blog. :)

  3. March 4th, 2007 at 11:09 am
    ME Strauss said

    Justin,
    You tricky fellow . .. I wouldn’t call that a website . . . :)

  4. March 4th, 2007 at 11:53 am
    Jeff Brown said

    1. I never wanted to be one of those guys who chased danger. I always suspected they were making up for something.

    2. I never wanted to be a video gamer. Boring.

    3. I never wanted to be a real estate agent selling and listing homes. I failed to avoid that, but got outa Dodge before it snatched my soul. :)

    4. Never wanted to be anything to do with anything about a computer except using it.

    5. I never wanted anything to do with motorcycles. I think most folks who do need to feel danger to replace something they think they’re lacking.

  5. March 4th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Jeff!
    It’s kind of to find out what we never wanted to be and how cool it is to have avoided it. :)

    I never wanted to move back to where there is snow. But I do love Chicago!!

  6. March 4th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
    Big Roy said

    I remember as a teenager sitting around with friends drinking and mostly smoking (not cigarettes). I always dreamed of being a writer. A Thoreau type figure would come to mind.

    My life took a very different path. But in a way I sort of ended up as a writer. Even with touches of Thoreau in a broad 2007 sense. I think he would have been a blogger in 2007.

  7. March 4th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
    ME Strauss said

    HI Big Roy!
    Yep, I suspect that Thoreau would have been a blogger, especially if he could get wifi out there at Walden Pond — it wasn’t there when I left MA, but it’ll be there soon enough. :)

  8. March 5th, 2007 at 12:35 am
    Karma said

    Hi Liz,
    I don’t think I passed up too many roads on the way to here. However,
    1. I never wanted to be Raymond’s girlfriend. (I did go on one date)
    2. I never wanted to have to be the drummer in the pep squad. ( but I was)
    3. I never wanted to wear the costume my mother made for me, (but I did)
    4. I never wanted to be a secretary, (but I was)
    5. I never wanted to be the tallest girl in school, (but I was.)

    So. This list certainly does not consist of anything tragic but it is funny how I thought of these things now

  9. March 5th, 2007 at 12:38 am
    ME Strauss said

    Hi Karma!
    Welcome!
    Now you have me thinking in a whole ‘nother light. Oh no!

  10. April 2nd, 2007 at 5:05 pm
    Pursuing Excellence » Slow and steady wins the race: the Turtle Meme said

    [...] Those who have been tagged (at least on this meme’s path to me) so far include William Tully, Bob Hruzek, Liz Strauss, David Armano, Matthew Stibbe, Karin, Bob Glaza, Cord Silverstein, Robyn McMaster, Cam Beck, Sandy Renshaw, Jodee Bock, Troy Parkinson, Phil Gerbyshak, Debbie Call, Jane Greer, Pam Thomas, Ben Yoskovitz, David Reich, Anna Farmery, G.L. Hoffman, Ellen Weber, and of course, Cody McKibben. [...]

  11. April 3rd, 2007 at 9:59 am
    The Turtle Meme: Passing It Around » What Would Dad Say said

    [...] William Tully, Bob Hruzek, Liz Strauss, David Armano, Matthew Stibbe, Karin, Bob Glaza, Cord Silverstein, Robyn McMaster, Cam Beck, Sandy Renshaw, Jodee Bock, Troy Parkinson, Phil Gerbyshak, Debbie Call, Jane Greer, Pam Thomas, Ben Yoskovitz, David Reich, Anna Farmery, Ellen Weber, Cody McKibben. [...]

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