What Price Your Soul

I'll admit it. I went to law school to make Money. Yes, capital 'M' Money. Not just enough to get by. I want to be comfortable. This was after years of a career that I loved but had to get used to being poor & struggling. It took 15 years for the bloom to fall off that rose. For the romance of the 'struggling artist' or the nouveau bohemian to realize that there is nothing exciting about having your lights turned off (again).

One day I just said "I've had enough" and I want my life to get better now. So I went to law school thinking it was some kind of get rich quick scheme. Well, as I may have mentioned, so far the jokes been on me. I make less money than I did in my prior career.

But an opportunity has popped up for me to make almost 4 times what I do now. The problem is, this job is in a field that makes me uncomfortable. While it is ethical and legal, it promotes something that fundamentally I have a problem with. What do I do? Take the money and run? Not worry about the world I leave to my family? Or live off the fat of the land, paying my bills, taking care of my parents and maybe, some glorious day, pay off my student loan?

It's a moral dilemma. I know, I know. Send out the search party. But honestly, is this the way to go? Does there come a time when Altruism becomes just too expensive?