Why CAN’T We Have It All?

I grew up wanting to do about five zillion different things and being told I couldn’t. In fact, when I changed what I wanted to “be” from photojournalist to teacher, my mother changed it back. I’m still not entirely sure why, but that’s a long, weird tale.

My point is, I’ve always heard, “You can’t have it all.”

I see the truth in that statement. I do. You can’t have all the meatballs out of the spaghetti. That would leave none for anyone else. Same with all the chocolate chips out of the cookies.

You can’t have all the cars you’d like to drive, because when would you drive them?

You can’t have all the money you’d like to have, because you’d have to work all the time and then what would you do for fun and to spend all that money?

What I don’t see the reason in, what I absolutely refuse to believe, is that I cannot pursue any interest I want, for as long as I want, and then move on to the next thing.

What I will not accept is that I have to be a widget-maker for my entire life, rather than making widgets for a couple of years, then going into sales for three or four years, then teaching for a while. Or even teaching while I’m in sales and making widgets on the side.

Who makes these rules?

Who says we can’t have it all?

Sure, maybe not all at once, but I plan to live a while.

Don’t you?