Should I be embarrassed that at the very ripe age of 47 I still do not have a solid answer to this question? I am moving in the right direction, though the bounds are not clearly defined.
If I were to follow my passions, I would read academic books on the intersection between religious oppression and women’s rights, then write and talk a lot about those topics. I’d write my own books on American women and religious life after spending my summers bouncing around the world discovering its matriarchal cultures. Then, I’d retreat to an ivory tower to corrupt tender, young minds against the patriarchy.
In my dreams, I am a traveling writer, poet, and photographer. I travel so much that I wish I could unpack my suitcase and stay home for a year.
Maybe I’m in the process of making these dreams a reality. Since officially leaving religious life about 10 years ago, I am now working toward my master’s degree in women’s studies. I have traveled more in the last 5 years than I did in my first 38. I am still discovering who I am and what I want to do with this one life I have. I am still discovering the agency I have over my own life. And when I think about how far I have come, I can see that, though I may not have my dream job, I am living a dream life.
Leslie Wiggins 