When I was a kid, I was going to be a singer. And an ice skater, a writer, a nurse, a doctor, and a film director. Oh, and a movie star. Thirty-five was an age away; literally an age I never thought about. When my mom was 35, her kids were 14 and 12, and she was working with my dad's film studio, creating her own career as an advertising photographer. She was glamorous and exciting, and wore designer clothes to fancy lunch meetings with clients. She and my dad went on vacation every year; and usually, we went, too.

By the time my dad was 35, he'd had his own film studio for over 10 years.

I'm 35 now. I've been a secretary, a temp, a reporter, an editor, an assistant film director, a financial analyst, an event planner, and director of client services for a software company. Now, I'm essentially a systems analyst... the dream career of Martin Prince. It's a boring job with little to no hope of advancement.

I have no career. It bothers me sometimes more than others. I don't think my kids will look at me someday and be proud of how glamorous and exciting their mom is. That's not really what it's about... it's just that I'm not excited by what I do.

Is anyone? Does anyone out there have a job they're excited about? What makes you feel good about your work?

["The One That Got Away," Mike Ruekberg]

P.S. I feel obliged to point out that my mom went back to school in her 40s, finished her Bachelor's, got her Master's, and became a practicing psychotherapist -- her "dream" career. Go figure.