In Ten Years

I had a pseudo-job interview today - a conversation with someone who's hiring for a position that I might be interested in. I was calling just to find out more about the job to see if I wanted to apply. I thought I'd be asking all the questions. Instead, she started hitting me with stuff like "what do you like or dislike about your current position?" "what is your greatest strength?" and the real biggie, "where do you see yourself in ten years?"

As soon as she asked that, a range of completely inappropriate responses flitted through my head. Still married and loving life with my husband, of course. I'd like to have a second child by then. I'd like us to have a house of our own, with a nice back yard where the kids can play, maybe a dog. I want to have read a lot of great books. I want to have written something significant of my own - either finished my coming-of-age novel, or put together a reasonable collection of poems, or packaged my other essays into a memoir. I want to have the time and freedom to spend with family, enjoy the outdoors, visit friends, and pursue hobbies. I'd like my own vegetable garden.

I have no career aspirations. For me, a job is just a way to get money so you can get by. I don't particularly want more responsibility (even when I chafe at the hierarchy in my current position), or underlings, or a grandiose title. I just want to do something that isn't too stressful or boring that won't interfere too much with what I consider to be real life. None of which you can say to a prospective employer, so I just burbled on about wanting a position that would engage me and where I could make a difference, etc. It is a bit scary to contemplate the future though. I hope I can make that idyllic future that I picture for our family come to pass.