as a singaporean, studying journalism is not necessarily a popular choice. most of my peers pursue a degree in business, law, engineering, or similar professions. and in singapore, journalism is not a glamourous profession. it is not one that parents will encourage their children to pursue.
yet, it is something that i have grown to be passionate about. it has become my dream to inform the public of something they did not know previously – be it a new cafe, a big issue, or something else altogether. and i am forever grateful that my parents have always supported this dream of mine. (:
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a friend posted the above video on facebook. as it turns out, her friend was the one behind the “i still have a dream” project, a project encouraging everyone to pursue their dreams.
this is the question they posed:
what would you be if you could be anything you wanted? no need to support a family, no need to make your parents happy, no constraints on competencies, talents or money. what would you do?
and it got me thinking.
growing up, i’ve had many dreams. i’ve wanted to be a singapore girl (i.e. an air stewardess with singapore airlines), a florist, a choir conductor, a lawyer. my parents felt the first three options were not suitable career paths, as they are not jobs with a stable income. and i abandoned my dream of becoming a lawyer halfway into my undergraduate degree as i felt i did not have what it takes to go through law school.
right now, if i could be anything related to my field of study, i would love to be the editor-in-chief of my own magazine on empowering women. if the magazine becomes profitable, it would be a dream come true to partner with a women’s organisation like 31 bits, a21, or the colour sisterhood to make a difference in other women’s lives.
and if i’m allowed to dream even bigger… it would be so wonderful to open a cafe; to provide a space for city-dwellers to sit down, have a cup of (good) coffee, indulge in delicious, wholesome food, all while championing causes worldwide. a portion of the profits would go towards supporting a group, or various groups, in need. this idea isn’t original though. it is adapted from food for thought, one of my favourite cafes in the world. they serve up amazing food and drink, provide service with heart, and above all believe that the smallest act can go towards changing the world.
on the other hand, if i could be anything at all – barring qualifications, money, and what others would think – i’d be…
a lifestyle/travel writer. which, incidentally, is what i want to be anyway. but perhaps the difference lies in the details of my job scope; i’d love to travel around the world for free, wandering around the streets of various places, telling stories that are still untold; stories that may seem trivial but deserve to be published.
a musical theatre artiste. music was is a massive part of my life, especially in high school. i think i fell in love with musicals when my high school choir staged a production of miss saigon (which wasn’t very good, really). but there’s just something about various voices coming together and making music that makes my heart come to a standstill.
a choir conductor. this is a dream of mine that i abandoned a long time ago. if i still had the passion for choral singing as i did six years ago, i probably would have gone on to pursue a professional qualification in conducting. but God had other plans. (:
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in a world where nothing is perfect, where dreaming big is sometimes condemned, where it is impossible to survive without money, we can’t all pursue our dreams. but at the same time i hope that most of us won’t give up in the pursuit of finding a job that is more than a monthly paycheck.
i do realise it is easier said than done. and it is also true that we need to wake up in order to make our dreams come true.
in the meantime though, keep on dreaming. and please don’t hesitate to tell me what you‘d do if you could be anything you wanted (:
lots of love,
diane
Diane Leow 