Once you’ve been released from your day-to-day work schedule, do you have to spend hour after hour looking for a job that places you right back on a grind you probably hated anyway?
Not necessarily.
The Washington Post published a story about laid off blue collar workers taking their newfound free time to pursue their true passion: professional wrestling.
Naturally, most of you are probably skeptical of those who want to channel their inner “Macho Man” Randy Savage, but isn’t the thought of dropping everything to do what brings joy into your life somewhat tempting?
It surely was for 36-year-old factory worker turned wrestler Troy Long. Formally a worker at a Volvo plant in Virginia, Long set his sights on a wrestling career after no longer feeling restrained by the “real world.”
He took a temp job that only paid a fraction of what he used to earn then signed up for wrestling camp. Now going by the moniker “Sgt. Long,” the ex-plant worker argues life has never been better after altering his definition of success.
Long told the Post: “In reality, the economy tanking really turned my whole life around. It got me living my dream full time. It cost me some things, but it's given me more.”
Though Long doesn’t make as much money as he used to and realizes his chances of battling Randy Orton for the WWE championship at “Wrestlemania” are highly unlikely, he’s satisfied with the direction his life has taken.
Call it a hunch, but I’m assuming most of you don’t want to be the next Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and choke slam your bright colored tight wearing opponent to the mat.
Yet, for whatever dreams you do harbor, if you were to take the same risk to pursue them as Long did, would happiness soon follow for you, too? Or do you believe Long is living in a world as fake as his new industry of choice?
Daring dreamers and practicality police officers, I’d love to hear each of your perspectives on this.
Please reply below or email me at therecessiondiaries@gmail.com.
Photo credit: Michael Williamson-The Washington Post
Michael Arceneaux hails from Houston, lives in Harlem and praises Beyoncé’s name wherever he goes. Follow him on Twitter.