Which direction to take?
Coming-of-age stories and careers
The Amazon TV series Red Oaks tells the story of David, a 20-year-old boy studying to become an accountant for his father's firm. During the summer, his father sets him up for a job at a country club called Red Oaks to be a tennis instructor, in the hopes he will meet his future rich clients.
Not only his parents seem to have planned all his future life for him, but also his girlfriend who dreams of getting married, having kids and staying in the suburbs.
He, on the other hand, is not so sure about this. As he meets new people at the country club, his understanding of work and his future is changed.
It's definitely a fun show with its 80s throwbacks, including Jennifer Grey, Baby from Dirty Dancing playing David's mom. I had never heard of it and clicked on it by chance on Amazon Prime and I'm glad I did.
In its lighthearted way, it discusses what a job and career should be, and ultimately what kind of life to strive for. Should we follow our passions completely, no matter the consequences? But who can afford such a thing? Should work be about making money and enjoying it? Or should it be safe? Could it be more fun as a tennis instructor at a country club without the accolades or grand aspirations that come with it?
David navigates other's expectations constantly. Although he doesn't know what he wants, he knows what he doesn't want. At the same time he has to push himself out of an easy and protected life. That's growing up, but it's always painful.
The Graduate
Red Oaks reminded me of The Graduate, a classic that I only just recently watched. Dustin Hoffman's character also have no idea what he wants to do with his life. The only thing he knows is that he doesn't want to follow everyone's expectations or follow his parents' footsteps.
To do that and avoid facing his future, he starts an affair with Mrs. Robinson, a friend of his parents. He later gets obsessed with her daughter Elaine, following her around and trying to be with her.
The Graduate definitely has a better ending than Red Oaks, mainly because it is unsatisfactory. Getting the girl he obsesses over will not solve his confusion about what to do after graduation. It actually removes his excuses. Running away from her wedding will not make Elaine’s life better either.
Unfortunately, probably because the show was already cancelled, Red Oak's ending feels rushed. The third season wraps up too neatly, with everyone happy with their life choices and future. It's what you would expect from a light-hearted TV comedy, but it felt unsatisfactory after all the questions it raised and its former decision to not answer them in the first two seasons.
My own struggles
After losing my job recently, I'm kind of unsure of what to do next.
As an immigrant I have to be grateful for the jobs I got. I am lucky I have always worked in jobs that match what I studied and my career. There are so many brilliant people that live abroad and have to do jobs that don't really use their full capacity.
Still, I wouldn't say they were super fulfilling, which was OK. It was good practice for understanding that a job could just be a job. Learning to do what was needed, earn money and focus on being happy outside of work.
I don't think it's an unwise way of thinking. All jobs have a bad side to them. All of them have tasks you don't want to do, and even the tasks you like doing can get tiring after a while.
It's better when your sense of self and motivation doesn't come from your job. At the same time, we spend a lot of time at our jobs. There is no reason why you shouldn't want to spend this time doing something you think is interesting and will make a difference. Not in the sense of status, but useful to others.
It's difficult to know which way to take. It probably won't be much of a choice anyway. It depends on many factors, after all. In the end, there's no right answer and each job change or career pivot I make will have its upsides and bad.
Just like in Red Oaks, opportunities come and go. The people around you will constantly change you and your opinions on how to live your life, and what direction to take. Our plans or others' plans may not always work out as planned.
The only possible decision is the right decision now.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Being very sure of what career you want can come with many other problems, especially if you will do anything to get there. Evelyn uses everyone around her to be famous and rich, even those she loves. That made her have many husbands during her life.
The Graduate (1967)
Ben Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) comes back to his parent’s house for summer. There he is constantly pressured about his future. He soon gets involved with his parents' friend Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) and her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross).
Red Oaks (Amazon Prime)
Red Oaks is a coming-of-age comedy set in the 1980s about a college student working as a tennis instructor at a New Jersey country club during the summer. He is unsure of his future career and his future in general. He soon learns that no one around him has it figured out either.
The only problem with this show is that since it wasn't that successful the last season is shorter and feels quite rushed. But it is still worth watching if you are tired of the grim and violent shows of lately and want something more uplifting.