What do you want to be when you grow up? Remember that question? When I was growing up adults used to ask me that all the time. It makes me sad that I very rarely hear kids asked this all important question today. When I ask them myself, a lot of times I get back an unfortunate “I don’t know”. I can remember three things that I wanted to become when I was little. The first was Popeye. You could not tell me that if I did not eat my spinach that I would not have muscles. For this reason spinach became one of my favorite vegetables. As I got into grade school I wanted to become two other things that played a role in my life. One was a mathematician because I was always really good at math The other was an optometrist because I have horrible eyesight and had to go to the eye doctor all the time. I couldn’t spell those two professions but I knew I was going to be them. And not just one of them, both of them. Then life went on and I learned that by high school and college math got more difficult to pick up so quickly and optometry required a ton of education. I can remember though that when I was younger there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that I could not achieve those goals. It put a smile on my face when people asked what I wanted to become. What did you want to be when you grew up? How did it turn out for you?
Christine
January 7, 2014 at 10:34 pmGrowing up I can remember wanting to be an Opera singer and a Ballet dancer. Every chance I got I would be in front of my parents friends dancing or singing. Now that I am older I am still singing just not Opera more like karaoke. And dancing only comes when I attend a really nice holiday party. But, if you ask me I am still living my childhood dreams through karaoke and a few holiday parties.
Nadirah
January 8, 2014 at 12:15 amI wanted to be a teacher when I grew up (elementary), then I wanted to be a modern day Harriet Tubman (middle school), & then a journalist (high school). I’m undeserving of the blessings and opportunities to strive towards my childhood dreams, though not quite how my young mind perceived it would be.
Nadirah
January 8, 2014 at 12:18 amIt’s sad to me too that younger generations aren’t dreaming. Their subconsciousness (imaginations) are retarded by the mind-numbing stimuli of our communities.
Doug
April 30, 2014 at 10:16 amNot necessarily. My five-year-old son is passionate about robotics and neuroscience. He tries to relate those topics with the stimulus-sources he encounters. A person can powerfully combine work and play, not matter their age.
Mary
January 8, 2014 at 4:26 pmHow well I remember! As a young child I don’t recall dreaming much about my future, let alone what I wanted to be. However, in high school,(many years ago)I remember my counselor was my home economics teacher. At that time the girls were “pushed” toward home making: learning how to sew, cook, and clean house. My greatest ambition was to be a Nurse. After graduation, College was beyond my parents’ financial reach. So, I abandon the idea altogether and today, I still remember well.
Domonique Smith
May 25, 2014 at 10:47 pmLet me think…I wanted to be so many things growing up. Of course, one of the first was a teacher. My actual dream was to work, have kids and have a stay at home husband to take care of my kids while I worked. Today, I no longer want to be a teacher, but I do believe, at times, that any dream I have can come true.