M: Here’s our featured reader for the day: “Hello DJ and Mic! I’m a registered nurse, one of local beauty queens who is putting life on hold for a national pageant title. There’s little that is happening this year. Probably next year too, unless a vaccine is released. Should I start working on my papers abroad or choose to give this dream a shot?” Even if this pandemic has nearly made all of us stand still, stay home and virtually stop what we were doing pre-Covid, a lot has actually happened. So much that it changed the way we live, think, interact, work, learn and socialize.
DJ: There are a lot of ambiguities at this time. While companies like Johnson and Johnson said that a cure might just be confirmed to be effective by the end of the year, nothing is certain. Yet. I’m curious to know whether her pocket is deep. Can she sustain her needs till then? Why does she want to be a beauty queen? She’s a registered nurse. The world needs her. Which weighs more: Filling that need or fulfilling her dream? Should they be mutually exclusive? It varies from person to person but in my opinion, personal responsibility is arguably more valuable than just a passion. Bummer, right?
M: Why is she saying that she’s putting life on hold for a national pageant title? Does life really stop if she pursues that path and not being a nurse? It takes a lot of preparation to join a national pageant. I used to think it was easy to just stand there and look beautiful. But actually it is not. Having the complete package—brains, personality, grace under pressure, wit, humor and the ability to communicate well—is tough. Taking into account discipline, the stamina (try walking in those six-inch heels) makes her a winner wherever she is. I think she should give the nursing profession a shot! She’s already a nurse which is but a dream for some.
DJ: To follow our passion is more complicated than it sounds. There are needs to meet, bills to pay and responsibilities to fulfill. Sure, passion makes the world go round. But personally, it’ll be crappy to encourage someone to just drop everything else for it. Being a registered nurse implies that she successfully accumulated knowledge, interest and experience. Loving it can be cultivated. Being a beauty queen, on the other hand, is also gnawing at the back of her mind. It looks like it’s something she’d do if only she doesn’t have to worry about money. But is that really so?
M: We should not waste time, talent and treasure, and the opportunity to put these to good use not just to improve ourselves but to help others. One cannot put life on hold. Life goes on. Even if we think nothing is happening, there is actually a lot that is going on around us, inside us. My take? Just go ahead and process her papers. We learned to wait for nearly six months to adjust to the new normal and even up to now, we don’t know how long this will last. Things will never be the same again. We have to forge on and move forward.
DJ: Whether she’ll end up being a nurse or a beauty queen, she’ll have her share of highs and lows regardless of her level of dedication. Either way, people can also take something of value from her decision. What I’d like her to focus more on is “why?” Once she’s clear about that, the “how” will just follow.