Even dream jobs have downsides

Sometimes I wonder what I would be doing if I didn't choose to be an actuary (still a wannabe, as I am still taking the SOA exams). Sometimes I wonder what I am doing now is really my dream job. (As you can see from my previous posts, I was constantly searching for my purpose of life.)

Then I listened to the radio show "The American Life- Nice work if you can get it today" and realized that there are always some "not-so-fun/boring/routine" components in every job, even some dream jobs that we considered, like being an actor, an astronaut or a straight As students.

What strike me was the last part of the show- when the reporter interviewed a college student at UCLA who was aspired to become a doctor. This college student cannot work in the states legally because she doesn't have any legal documents as her parents were illegal immigrants. (Beside studying very hard to pursue her dream as a public servant and a scientist, she works more than 20 hours during weekend in a restaurant, commutes more than 4 hours each day to school, and takes care of her house while her parents are working full-time.)

Isn't the US is the land of freedom and opportunities? Then I look at how fast the H1-B visa ran out this year and the situations of the undocumented college students, I think the freedom and opportunities are mostly belong to those who have legal status. Then my next question is, why is it so difficult for some people to acquire a legal status? I think it is the issue of having an abundance vs. scarcity mindset. If you believe the resources of a country will be depleted when there are more people in a country, of course you don't want too many people to "share the pie" with you, right? (Any thoughts on this, anyone?)

Tom Johnson on I'd rather be writing wrote a thorough summary on the radio show. But if you have time, listen to the show. It's worth it.

Reources:
The Invisibles