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Dear Seagoat,

I want to be a poet. I want to teach community college and maybe workshops while living and writing on a farm. But I also need a steady stream of income and enough money to care for my family. It seems more practical to go get my MIT and be a high school teacher who writes on the side. Should i go or the dream for the reality?

–Scorpio Unsure of Direction

Dear SUD,

Dreamy urges versus nuts and bolts. Why, SUD, it seems you’ve stumbled into a classic (and highly American) dilemma!

On the surface, things look simple. A choice of personal values. Do you value security (your family)…