Settling for mediocrity

So I have this new job. I'm working for the J. Paul Getty Trust, which includes one of America's premier art museums. We also have a conservation institute which works all over the world conserving artwork and all kinds of antiquities. We also have a research institute that has a huge collection of old and rare books, art pieces, anything you might need for researching art and antiquity. They host several scholars each year and grad students who use the resources we have to further their own research into whatever it is they are into. Those scholars in residence are supported through the Getty Trust, which is just a bunch of money that supports all the parts of the Getty and gives grants to these scholars. I work in the marketing department of Getty Publications. We publish books about all kinds of things. Sometimes they are related to exhibits going on at the museum, or a former scholar in residence publishes their research, or sometimes its a kids book about art. I am the staff assistant to marketing. I keep our department organized, plan travel, and generally keep things running smoothly. That's hypothetical, of course, at least until I figure out what it is I'm supposed to do each day!

The best part of my job is working around creative-minded people. That is something I think I took for granted until I wasn't anymore. You see, the last year of my life I worked at a bookstore. Now, the pay wasn't good, but I enjoyed helping people find that perfect gift, or their favorite kids' book to give to their grandchildren, or that health book that is going to help them with their ailment. I had a hard time with some of the people I worked with, though. It was last year that I discovered that much of the adult world is happy where they are, which is usually mediocrity. It's as though they have turned their dreams off, or given up on them, or never had them in the first place. They got to some point in their lives and said "I have this crappy job that pays me very little and doesn't challenge me mentally or emotionally at all. I'm not really improving the world (ok, so at least I'm selling books which is important) but that's ok with me. I know if I wanted to do anything else, I'd have to work really hard or go back to school or make myself uncomfortable. I'd rather not rock the boat. Yeah, this job is ok enough."

I felt like I was banging my head against a wall with these people. There were opportunities out there for these people if they just wanted to reach out and grab them. But they were fine to make their little paycheck and, instead of investing it or saving for tuition or something that might move them forward, they ate out every night, played online video games until 4 am, or bought cars they didn't need and couldn't afford just because they had enough credit.

What is wrong with us that we think we just can't do better? I firmly believe that, yes, it's important to find contentment with the circumstances life hands you. Sometimes, in the face of terrible times, that's the only thing you can do. Be grateful for whatever you have that is good, and be content. However, I think it is even more important to be conscious of the forward movement of your life. Maybe you can't flesh out exactly what your dream is. Maybe it's hard to think about how you could ever make it out of the hole you're living in. But isn't it worth it to step out, to make a decision, to move somewhere that might move you out and up?

That's what we did. We took a chance moving to California because it felt like moving forward. Staying in Montgomery, taking a job at the Shakespeare Festival would have been easy. Jeff would have been making good money. The cost of living is cheap. I could have found some job, working in an office or for a church. But that felt like death to us. It was not just standing still, but taking a step back. We would have been stuck there, not gathering experience that would be helpful to us in the future, not seeking out the possibility of the future, no matter how frightening it might seem at the time. It felt like settling for mediocrity.

Our gamble paid off. God has truly blessed us in our faith that we were moving where we felt like we were supposed to be. In the face of financial hardship (and I'm talking $24 to our names hardship), economic collapse, and a crumbling job market, we both got jobs in fields where we feel we were meant to be. I know I'm still an administrative assistant, but I feel like I'm working for the greater good. I enjoy knowing we create books. Books about creativity and the arts, about ancient history and philosophy. I am where I'm supposed to be and I can only tell you that stepping out moved us forward. I don't know where we'll end up, and I don't even care. Because you never stop moving, not if you really try. You can always move forward, and I hope I always will.