Be An American Dreamer!

I think it’s safe to say that I’m an American Dreamer. I was raised in a family where I was told that I could be anything that I wanted to be as long as I worked hard and stayed focused. Now, I’m not sure I always stayed focused, but I do believe this sentiment to be true and I hope that I’m passing this same vision to my children as they grow.

When I went to college, my plan was to be an actor. I performed with a traveling improv group, I did a few plays and I did a lot of studying. I continued that for a bit and quickly realized that I had more talent behind the scenes. I preferred to help choose the cast (better actors than I was) and manage the show. I began working as a stage manager and LOVED it. I excelled at it and it taught me a great deal about who I was, how to respect others in a work environment and my own personal value.

After some time, I decided to transfer schools (another story for another day) and majored in business. That lasted for about a week and a half before I moved to communications. After about two months of that, I went into psychology. Psychology had always been a personal passion (studying and writing papers on the Kitty Genovese case, Maslow’s theory, the Zimbardo prison experiment, etc), but I had been terrified that I would become burned out and uninterested, so I’d avoided it beforehand. My father was a psychologist who worked with children, but I’d always felt that I had a personal attachment to people with chronic psychotic disorders. And so that’s what I did. I graduated in psychology and worked for years with the chronically mentally ill – first in a nursing home (as a case manager and then admissions coordinator) and then as the admissions coordinator for a hospital.

I tell you this story because I think it’s important. This is the life I have lived, yes, but 200 years ago, my following the path above wouldn’t have been possible. I am a product of the Chicago Public School system, I have a wonderfully supportive middle-class family and I am a female. 10 years after I left admissions, I worked as a standardized patient (like on Seinfeld where Kramer has to pretend he’s sick? Yeah, I did that and it was awesome), I got married, I had two children and I’m a blogger. In a million years I wouldn’t have guessed this path. But it’s my path. And I got to travel this path because I am an American Dreamer and I followed my passion wherever it led me. I hope that you follow YOUR dreams. It isn’t always reaching our dreams that matters, it’s the journey. It’s what you learn about yourself and others. It’s what you discover along the way. I wish you the best on whatever path you choose.

This weekend only, Cents of Style is offering a free American Dreamer shirt (like mine above!) with any $30 purchase as well as free shipping! This shirt is soft and yummy feeling, so I recommend it. Ends 6/12.

Cents of Style Note – Please note, the FREE shirt will be offered with a pop-up upon checkout with any purchase that is $30 or more. This offer is not valid with any other coupon code or promotion. Limit one shirt per order/customer. Only one free shirt will ship per order. We will ensure that each qualified order receives the free t-shirt.