Damn that Green Grass

I guess I technically have a "reading-based" job as an English teacher. Supposedly, anyway. After finishing up a unit of study on "functional documents," including how to write resumes, business letters, and fill out job applications, it doesn't necessarily feel like it. Don't misunderstand- I much prefer teaching high school English to teaching elementary students how to read (although there are plenty of barely-literate high school students), but there are moments where I allow myself to daydream about other career options, especially those involving books and publishing (side note: if I could go back and do it all over, I would have probably tried a little harder to become a cardiac surgeon).

My coulda/woulda/shoulda career list:

Literary Agent I feel like the more I read the better I have gotten at predicting the success of an author (pat, pat, pat).
Novelist No comment. Sigh.
Editor I do love me some red pens- "This is not a sentence! Where is the subject?"
Bookstore Owner If I won the lotto I'd open a bookstore/bar/ice cream parlor- I'm contemplating an entire post due to this concept, which I promise will be both massively delusional and entertaining.
Librarian You know, one of the hot ones that takes off her glasses and lets down her hair at the end of the day.
Bookstore Buyer Although submitting purchase orders for Nicky Sparks would be a bit disheartening, it would be great to introduce the world to lesser known talents (if there are any bookstores left).
Lit Professor Unfortunately, I have no desire to go back to school since I'll be paying off my BA/credential/MA until I'm 87-years-old. Plus, permanent university positions are about as hard to find as Justin Bieber's manly parts.

Regret has such a nasty reputation. People turn their noses at regret because accepting responsibility for not making the right choices at the right time can be frightening... and humbling. I think feeling regret and accepting its presence can be an important catalyst for change. Ignoring regret leads to denial, which tends to cost people a lot of money in therapy bills and anti-anxiety meds come their thirties and forties. So, yes, I do regret not becoming a doctor or getting my MS in publishing from NYU's graduate program (all their damn advertisements on UCLA bulletin boards). On the other hand, I am happy where I am personally and enjoy the freedom I currently have to pursue my various hobbies and interests. I acknowledge my regret, I accept my regret, but I refuse to let it control my life. And who knows, maybe I'd get tired of dealing with dramatic creatives all day. The grass is always so damn green on the other side.

So, until the career fairy comes to town, I'll be hanging out with teenagers and counting the weeks until we actually can start a novel again (after the state testing prep and the dreaded unit on poetry).