From an early age, my parents started grooming me for the career path that they wanted me to follow. You see, our family is from a long line of Tampa criminal defense attorneys, and I was expected to follow suit.
Truth be told, it seemed like a good idea when I started high school, but by as I neared graduation, I had different ideas. Even though I could see the potential income that being a Tampa criminal attorney provided, I was really worried about the mental effects that the job would have on me. I was worried that by dealing with the scum and worst situations that you could find in the world that my currently positive outlook on life would be affected.
My other problem with following in my parents footsteps was that I loved art. I not only loved it, but I was good at it. In fact, I always believed that it was smarter to follow your passion than do something just for the financial reward. Though the life of an artist could provide similar income levels as a lawyer would receive, there was less of a guarantee – some artists make next to nothing.
I have been accepted into an art school, but I haven’t told my parents yet. I hope they let me go and understand that choosing my own career path is very important to me.