Kinds of Dreams I Have

by Ryuka Sagawa

My mother often asks me, “What is your dream?” It’s her habit. I usually answer, “I haven’t decided yet.” Since I was a child, I have various kinds of dreams which I want to be. As I grew up, it’s hard to decide my dream because it’s not a reality but an ideal. Now, I’m 20 years old. I have to look for my regular job and I must decide which jobs match me. I still haven’t decided about a job. Below are three of my ideal dreams.

The first one is working overseas. This is the best ideal dream for me. When I was in elementary school, I went to Hawaii with my family. At the hotel desk, a Japanese woman was working there. She looked bright and her life seemed to have a sense of fulfillment there. I thought I really wanted to be like her. Now, I’m studying in Canada and I strongly suppose I want to work in foreign countries more than before. I can’t speak English well, so it’s not easy for me, but I have a possibility to do this.

The second one is working as a career woman. I have longed for this work since I was a junior-high school student because my aunt’s job is like this. This work needs a lot of intelligence and a lot of time. If I have this work, I have to sacrifice myself for the work, for example, I can’t meet with my friend or family frequently or it’s hard to have a family. However, I feel pride in this job. All my staff must respect me and I will become a necessary person for the company. Also, if I get this job, my mother may be really happy and she will be very proud of me. I want to be a dutiful person to my parents, so this work is a kind of my filial piety.

The third one is being like my mother. She is a beautician and my house is a beauty salon. When she was 20 years old, I was born. She did housework and her work at the same time. When I heard her life story so far, I really have respected her. It’s not easy to have kids for such a young lady. I can’t do like her. On the other hand, I want to spend my life like her. She looks very happy now though she had a difficult time in her twenties. She really enjoys her life. For example, buying fashionable clothes because she is young, obtaining some qualifications like a massage therapist, and falling in love with a young guy because my parents already divorced. She is getting more active as she gets older and older.

That’s why I have three types of dreams now. Anyway, I really like my mother, so I want her to be happy. I would like to live with her in the future. I don’t want to regret my decision about my future. However, I can challenge anything that I want to do because I’m young now. Therefore, the most important thing is don’t be afraid of failing. I can plan my dreams step by step and not be in a hurry.