A TWIST ON THE AMERICAN DREAM…………………..I came across this story by CNBC and thought it made good food for thought.
The ‘real’ American Dream has always been to become successful, sometimes going from rags to riches; sometimes just getting that great education, honing a prestigious professional career, and enjoying all the trappings that can bring, big house, maybe more than one, fancy cars, great vacations – all that money can buy!
Well, for some others, the American Dream is saying goodbye to the literal dream and living the life you really want. Case in point is attorney, Tyler Coulson who falls into the latter group of dreamers.
Coulson, an attorney with the prestigious Chicago law firm of Sidley Austin quit his job to walk his dog across America. Yes, my friends you are reading correctly. According to the CNBC report, Coulson recently sent his colleagues an email which read in part, ” Today is my last day at Sidley. Beginning next week, I am walking from Delaware to California with a tent and my dog, Mabel. I will have limited access to email, but will check messages frequently.”
A legal blog, “Above the Law”, posted the picture above depicting the gloomy view from Coulson’s office, offering credence to his perceived state of depression. Some co-workers thought Coulson to be nuts; others speculated he might have been fired, but no, it appears to have been his decision and his alone.
According to Coulson, ” I have always wanted to do an epic walk of some sort and now I am going to. The folks at Sidley are great, but big law just isn’t right for me right now. I need to get out from behind a desk, I need to move around, I need to have an adventure, and I need to meet some people. It’s too easy to forget who you are, sometimes.”
His plan was to start walking from Cape Henlopen, Delaware, on March 10th, following the American Discovery Trail, and with any luck, reach San Francisco in six months. “I have always enjoyed hiking, but I’ve never done anything of this magnitude and, of course, it is a bit daunting. I might make it five miles or five thousand, but, in either case, I want to walk the country and maybe learn something about myself. I am going to keep a travel journal and try to put it all together in a book. I know this will be life changing for me, but I had not quite realized what kind of response it was going to cause among other attorneys. It is humbling.”
Wow – how many people would give up such a career to walk the land, meet new people and experience an adventure never thought of before?? And, what will be when he comes back in six months? Will he come back renewed and recharged and ready for another exciting experience or will he be jaded somewhat ready for another go at the old grind?
