It is baffling that people can’t seem to recognize what’s right in front of them, they just look ahead, straining to catch a glimpse of what bigger and better things would be afforded to them if only they could just shrug off the lives (and people) that are holding them back. Somewhere along the line, a stigma was attached to living a comfortable unassuming life, to being a successful teacher or a good student with a quiet home life and a small, but meaningful, sphere of influence. It’s bullshit. There is so much good that comes from normalcy and stability and such tremendous harm that comes from believing, even for a moment, that the grass really might be greener on the other side. People are not landscapes and climbing into someone else’s bed does not constitute a change of scenery. When you climb out, you’re still you. You’re still lonely Tracy Flick, overachiever extraordinaire or misguided Dave Novotny, convenience store clerk.
I thought, “This is what people who are stuck with a spouse and kids and mortgage say. This is how they make themselves feel better. Their lives are as shit as everyone else’s. There’s always something, someplace, someone better up ahead.”
Then, “Teacher at an all-girls Catholic high school is a hell of a job.”