Plumbing Dreams

I fell in love with an accountant, who for his entire adult life has wished that he could turn back the clock and be a plumber. We met just as we were finishing high school and making choices for our further education. He told his parents that after finishing school he wanted to go off and do a trade, and they told him that it would be a waste of his talents not to go to university. So he listened to them and gave up on his dream. He has regretted it ever since. 

Nowadays, my husband is in a very large rut. He’s constantly upset and feels like he has missed the opportunity to do what he loves. It would be too hard financially for him to become an apprentice, especially because we rely so heavily on his Senior Accountant salary. So now instead of enjoying what he does every day, he just watches people doing drain cleaning in the Melbourne CBD and wishes he was them. It’s really sad.

I’m sad for him that his parents led him astray. They should have supported him and told him to follow his dreams. Being a plumber is extremely lucrative as well. It wouldn’t have been a mistake. He could’ve supported his family and done what he loves all in one swift motion. He would feel like he hadn’t worked a day in his life. He also wouldn’t have a university debt that he had to pay off like the both of us do now.

I want all the parents out there to take this blog as a cautionary tale. If your child comes to you after finishing school and says that they want to be a drain plumber – then let them. Don’t hold your child back just because it’s not what you imagine their career to look like. Love your child and support them when they come to you. It’s the right thing to do.