Tuesday, April 10, 2012

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

A certain snarky valedictorian once said, in what could be called the most brilliant graduation speech ever:
"When we were five, they asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. Our answers were things like astronaut, president, or in my case… princess.

When we were ten, they asked again and we answered - rock star, cowboy, or in my case, gold medalist. But now that we've grown up, they want a serious answer. Well, how about this: who the hell knows?!

This isn't the time to make hard and fast decisions, it's time to make mistakes. Take the wrong train and get stuck somewhere chill. Fall in love - a lot. Major in philosophy because there's no way to make a career out of that. Change your mind. Then change it again, because nothing is permanent.

So make as many mistakes as you can. That way, someday, when they ask again what we want to be… we won't have to guess. We'll know."
My hero gold medal princess.

When I was in high school I wanted to be a marine biologist. I wanted to work with the fucking kick ass dolphins at Sea World. I even did a senior research project on the symbiotic relationship between the sea anemone and the clown fish. Thrilling stuff I tell you. This seems weird to me now because I'm deathly afraid of the water. And isn't that the whole point of marine biology?

Somewhere along the way I realized sitting in a fucking four hour lab on a Friday afternoon when all my friends had already started drinking, was not my cup of tea (or shot of whiskey, which makes more sense in this case.) So I changed majors. I have a degree in English. That's sort of like Biology, right?  

So now I work in advertising... which I've mentioned before and I'm sure you're quite sick of hearing about. Why am I telling you this again? Probably because I realized that once I got over the fact that I would not be the next Jacques Cousteau, I never had any desire to actually be something when I grew up.

Just the mere thought of scuba equipment makes me claustrophobic.

Frankly, I didn't want to grow up. For me, coming to an office every day where I don't have to dress up and I'm not limited by the confines of punching a time clock or having a supervisor peering over my shoulder all day was the perfect place for me. It must be... I'll be celebrating 15 years here next month. Maybe it's because I'm not in a cubicle farm. I have my own office that I can decorate as I please. Right now it's a blank slate because we just renovated but I have a stack of television show posters waiting to be plastered on the walls.

I'm 41 and I'm not sure I could ever be hired at some sort of corporate-type job. Advertising has made me virtually un-hireable. I would be immediately fired from any job other than my current one. There aren't many companies where you can bellow out a string of curse words that would make George Carlin blush and not be fired, but commended for your creativity. Or bosses that will threaten termination if you refuse to get drunk with them. No seriously, it happens. I actually got so shitfaced and high with my boss one night, I could barely find my way home. And I was right around the corner from my apartment.

RIP George... you made swearing fun.

I know that I will never again work for a company where I'm actually encouraged to call my boss a douchebag. My special ringtone for him is a sing-songy tune that says, "Douchebag, douchebag calling... douchebag...etc." He thinks it's hysterical and will often (inappropriately) tell new clients about it. That, and the fact that I enjoy firearms. Not something you want a brand new client to know. It scares them.

Yeah... I haven't grown up and I don't ever plan to. I truly hope this agency stays in business long enough for me to retire from it. (Even though at times I want to burn it to the ground and kill everyone here firing squad style, I mostly don't dread coming to work.)

I want to hear from you guys in the comments... are you doing now what you said you'd be doing as a senior in high school? As a senior in college? Did you set out to go to medical school and you're now a teacher? Or did you actually become a doctor? Does your job make you feel like a grown up? If so, what does that feel like? Inquiring minds want to know!

51 comments:

  1. I definitely did not intend to be a nurse. Although looking back on it from high school, I should have clued in that that was what I was going to enjoy doing.

    Do I love my job? Meh. It's been better, my manager is a moron. There are aspects that I love for sure.

    I'm pretty I'm not done growing up. I'm pondering heading back to school or starting my own business once my mat leave is over.

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  2. Er, 17 year old Jenny was pretty sure she was going to end up in some kitschy little apartment writing poetry and masterful works of fiction and living an artsy life. Clearly, 17 year old Jenny was high as a kite.

    Now I spend my days reading contracts and managing million dollar accounts. Definitely not what I planned on doing for the rest of my life. But you know what? I might not like what I do, but it allows me to do the things I do like -- writing this blog, going to Forks, going to SXSW and writing music-y stuff. So I guess it pans out in the end.

    Sort of, lol.

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  3. I don't wanna!
    I wanted to be a lawyer, then an accountant. I don't know what happened to those ideas. I graduated from hs and got pg, then married. In that order. I was and still am fortunate to have a job that pays me a decent wage and benefits. I've been there for 14 years and in the industry for 24. I haven't ever called my boss a douche bag but I did yell at him with f-bombs dropped.

    If I lost my job idk what I would do--yes I do but ya know.
    I'm still waiting to apply at Twitarded land or whatever the new name is gonna be. Could you please send me a application?

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  4. I'm much older than most of you guys, but I don't think I ever really figured out exactly what I wanted to do. I just knew I would get married and have kids, yet still be an amazing professional something-or-other. A Super-woman who has it all and does it all!

    But it didn't pan out that way. Or, maybe it did. It's just that I've had careers in two industries that didn't even exist when I was a young girl. But, I've always been a model employee and leader, and I've got the kids and two ex-husbands. So thanks for making me think about this. I'm actually feeling pretty good about myself right now!

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  5. I "grew up" to be exactly what I wanted: retired:) When I was marching in peace demonstrations in the 70s, no one could've guessed I'd do 20 years in the military. But I survived (more by luck than judgment) and it was worth it to enjoy a second childhood!

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  6. I was always wanted to play paralegal after watching all the law shows with with the hot guys! Been doing it for overrun 20 yrs and 10 yrs with a Great Boss. (He would save my fa voritesin e i never made it on time. things were restructed at the the start of the year and i am in hell working for. Short littlfucker. When people here who. I work for now I get condolences!!

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  7. I toyed with dreams of being a ballerina and then a lawyer, but I always wanted to be a mommy. Mission (finally) accomplished. My college degree didn't get me here, but some fertility drugs and quite a few speculums did. (btw, I swear I comments yesterday but I think Blogger ate it.)

    Oh, and I still might try to publish a book or two.

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    1. Oh, and my big childhood dream was to be a paleontologist. Then I found out that there were only eight paleontology programs in the US, all out west, and I wasn't willing to go that far from home for college. Digging up dinosaurs for a living, though? Fawesome.

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  8. I wanted to be a teacher but was advised to be a zoologist (ap courses in science & math in 12th grade-they thought I was scientifically inclined). However, I went to a school in the Boston area & flunked chemistry in my freshman year - so apparently CHEMISTRY is kind of essential for being a zoologist...I became a journalism major instead, wrote for the school paper (poetry, JJ!...and an advice column...my editor had very poor judgement) having always loved to read and write. Happily, I am now a preschool teacher, and I know, I know, but I love love love my job! I love my babies (2 yr olds-they are really not so terrible!). After college, I had a job as the admin ass (yeah, um, assistant) to a CFO...lots more $, not so much fun. Now I'm poor but laugh every day! I get hugs & kisses every day, too, & some days, like today, are especially rewarding because when I cuddled one of my guys & patted his little back, he patted mine right back-it was so darn cute! Naptime is also great...they sleep to "Bella's Lullaby" (natch) on repeat...although, I've been playing them either the "Love Death Birth" track from BD1 or the song from a you tube vid lately (Robert Pattinson Bel Ami All In One-not sure what the song is-awesome vid tho!) & I daydream about Malibu Rob while they sleep for 2 hrs. Yeah, Miss Robbie will have them all Twitarded by the time they turn 3. Is that a bad thing?

    Sooo...JJ, any thoughts on finishing 15 Steps? Or an epilogue maybe? And Myg, I thought I saw on Twitter that you had the last chapter done? no pressure, ladies, just love your stories!!

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    1. Final chapter of Reckoner is going up tonight (Friday) yay!

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    2. Just finished it-perfect! Now starting Osa again...isn't Myg awesome?

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  9. My senior year of high school I decided to become a massage therapist and move to Finland. (I was dating a foreign exchange student at the time.) I loved having my hands on people and having them go "oh yeah..." ;-) After several years of trying other things, I got my massage license. I really love touching people and having them be happy about it and not think I'm creepy! The economy did send me back to the regular work force and someone just hired me to be a supervisor! How the heck did that happen! It feels very weird to have a job where I have to dress up be all in chargy. Do I feel grown up? Heck no, I think I have somehow gotten away with pulling a fast one!

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  10. When I was at High School I wanted to be a Marine Biologist, then a Chef, then a Pharmacist. What I absolutely knew was that I did not want to do what either of my parents did - Registered Nurse or Food Technologist/Engineer. My Dad even took me to meet with professors of Food Science that he knew just incase I was interested in attending their university and might want to ask any questions. Umm, yeah, one. Where's the exit?

    I don't remember the day I came home and announced I was going to be a Nurse, but my mum does, and she says it was no surprise, that she and Dad had been waiting for me to tell them that was the plan. Apparently it was obvious all along. Who knew?

    I've spent the last five years out of the hospital system, at a desk for the most part, working 9-5 Mon-Fri and I wouldn't change my job for the world. I can swear at/with my boss, laugh with my colleagues, and still know we are doing good for the world as a whole.

    Shit that made me sound righteous... and of course, it pays for the trips abroad to meet Twitards and the annual leave to sit around reading p0rn! x

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    1. Eeep! Another possible marine biologist - love it! One of the things that drew me that major was the Great Barrier Reef. I'm glad I bailed out.

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  11. I'm not doing what I wanted, but I'm at a job where the pay's too good to not be here w/ my AA degree. I make more what I do w/ little training than what I would have made in my major. I will go back to school sometime. Question is when. I'm 39.

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    1. I have a similar issue. I put my BF through a 5 yr college program and I only got an AA. Of course the BF is long gone and I still only have an AA at 43. I made plenty of money in the IT field so never thought anything of it until I took a break for a couple of years and decided to come back in the middle of a crap economy where colleges are spewing out IT majors who are willing to take $15/hour jobs like they're candy. Damn.

      The first job I remember thinking I wanted was in about 9th or 10th grade. I decided I wanted to work in the movies, like a director or something. Then I decided I wanted to be an architect. Then I started working with computers and realized I'm not really that creative, I just really WANT to be creative (big difference). So I married an architect and have worked in several design offices so I can be near all of that creativity. It works for me.

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  12. Awesome post! I did exactly what I wanted to do. i wanted to teach history. i did. I wanted to teach middle school. Did that too. I knew theoretically I "wanted" (read: assumed) I'd be a wife and mom some day- well, a wife at least. Strangely enough, I had no thoughts after that. Needless to say, I was a bit lost for a while. I didn't think I'd be a stay at home mom who worshipped the ground my kids or husband walked on; but I never could get my head around having them so I couldn't quite see past having them. So here I am- they're almost 6 and 8. i did what I wanted to do in my career, stayed home a few years with the rugrats, considered eating the small end of a gun, and then fell upon the best time of my life- right now, at age 37. I've spent the last 2 years being the social media manager for a small recruiting and career management firm my brother owns. I've read more articles, spent more time online and learned more than i ever though possible. I'm part of an awesome team that is creating the 5 year Strategic Plan for my kids' school. I write. I read. I guess you can say Im exactly where I pictured I'd be since I never pictured myself anywhere at 37;) And I'm glad I couldn't because there's no way I could've imagined my life as fucking awesome as it is. I'm just not that creative.
    www.thepursuitofnormal.blogspot.com

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    1. I love social media and so wish I had more time to become more knowledgeable on the subject. It's tough because it's not really part of my "media buying" job! Maybe I'll just make it a hobby... because I don't have enough of those!

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  13. Grow up? Blech! A 17 year old Nifer wanted to me a mortician, like foreal Six Feet under type shit, but when I joined the Air Force they said: Hot nurse! So in 2 years I was an RN working med-surg, I left the AF early (Thanks, Bill Clinton!!) and started working in a hospital. Meh. I got a desk job at an insurance company and did that for 8 years, while popin' out babies and then went back to school for my BSN, then my masters, all while working as an extremely part time float nurse in every imaginable unit, until one day they asked me to float my ass to labor and delivery. I've been full time for a year now and think I've found my place.

    But I walk around in ridic scrubs and hot pink shoes, so not growing up!

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  14. I'm a work-at-home customer service agent. Never in my worst nightmares did I ever think I'd be doing this! While the working at home part is pretty good, the company's continual increase of my workload with minimal training and little or no help, is eating my soul. I was going to be an astronomer or a vulcanologist all through most of my school career. When I found out that astronomers work at night, I backed off pursuing that one. I always planned on a career in science though and to have not come even close to that is very depressing. Oh well. I'm job-hunting now and hoping to find something else soon. Hopefully not at a soul-sucking batshit crazy company!

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  15. I didn´t know what I wanted to do , never had any dreams or aspirations to be something special or extraordinary. My whole family are teachers so I drifted in that direction after highschool I started to study Latin and English to become a highschool teacher, went to study in Texas for a year ( I am from Germany) , well I did not much studying I goofed off most of the time ;) After I got back I changed my major from Latin to history, took my first government recognized exam, even did the two year trainee teacher thingie and took my second government recognized exam and bam am a certified teacher. I must say I did love it but I realized that the longer the school year lasted the less motivated I was to prepare exciting lessons for the kids. So I got to thinking I will not survive doing this teaching thing for the rest of my life. I looked into being a travel agent as I love to travel and thought it might be fun selling fancy trips to people. Nope didn´t persue that. As I am kinda lethargic and can´t get my ass off the couch to change things, Mum found an ad in the paper for a job at a hospital organizing hospital stays for foreign patients in Germany. I went for an interview. ( I was the last to interview) , got the job and the rest is history. I looooooooove what I do. I never thought I´d end up in hospital admin. It is so interesting , all the different people from all over the world. And also the workings of a big huge hospital. Ace! I loooooove my job. Most days ;)

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  16. I only had one goal in life growing up: move to England and marry a hot British guy. I think seven-year-old me was on to something there.

    Today, that is still my goal in life and I think I might actually accomplish half of it. I'm currently studying to be an English teacher in hopes of living and teaching abroad. I don't know if I will ever marry a hot British guy (for some reason, all the hot foreigners tend to skip me over while all the overweight, D and D playing, pizza faced, future Geek Squad dorks want to bang me. I think God hates me for or Karma is punishing me for doing something awful I did in a past life, like for birthing Nero or whatever) but my brain has already been wired into wanting foreign guys and can't be unwired.

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  17. In high school I wanted to be a farmer.
    Now I'm in plant research.
    I still want to be a farmer tho

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  18. I got my degree in Theatre. Theatre people! I was Broadway bound baby. Sigh. Now I'm a writer who lives in Maine. Not exactly the same thing, but I do use dramatic tension and can visualize how scenes would play out on the stage. (that's a stretch, I know). But I do get to work from home, so in that way I feel like a grown up.

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  19. I never had a plan in HS on what I wanted to be when I grew up. I just you could say it was like the Pussycat dolls song " When I grow up, I want to be famous, I want to be a star, I want big boobies. Isnt it how it goes...No? Big boobs run in the family - so that was a given.
    In my 20s I just worked at a dealership doing support positions (switchboard, cashier, parts and then dealer exchange) I worked a party supply company (where I met my husband)then for a photographer for a few years.
    For the last 12 years I work in Community Management. The job pays well and gives me the flexibility to be there for the kids. I have to work nights several times a month which is okay. My hubs wants me to start my own company managing communities but if I was to do MY OWN company. I would rather own a Hallmark store.

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  20. When I was little, I wanted to be jockey (those of you who have met me know this isn't possible and hasn't been since around 6th grade). For a while my dad had me convinced that I should be a lawyer, since I always was so argumentative. But I am still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up...

    And what's with Marine Biology??? It seems like one of those things that so many people aspire to at some point?

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    1. lol it's all about the dolphins! When you're a kid and you love the ocean, you want to grow up and be a dolphin trainer. At least that's how it started with me (see below) :)

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    2. It IS so all about the dolphins.

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  21. For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a marine biologist, too. So that's what I did, next month I'll graduate with my master's in marine biology! Marine biology is not a glamorous job, right now I'm writing up my thesis research which involved eels (not the prettiest fish in the world) and I do sea scallop research as a part time job. Occasionally I get to get out of the lab and do some work outside on a boat or I'll get a free bag of sea scallops (YUM!). I get to wear jeans and t-shirts to work everyday and scientists REALLY like to drink so there's always something fun to do on Friday afternoons. Since I've been in grad school for the past 3 years I don't have a real job at the moment but I'm looking! I'm hoping to get a job out in WA, semi close to Forks :-D and work with all the awesome fish in Puget Sound (seriously). Marine biology is pretty freaking awesome, you ladies should have stuck with it! ;) JK, it sounds like you're doing pretty well for yourself now!

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  22. I wanted to be a zoologist specializing in reptiles until about Senior year when I decided I wanted to own my own bar. Instead I ended up working for an injection molding company as a Customer Service Rep. I can’t complain much because they pay well and are flexible when I have to take time off for my 2 daughters. I have been playing around with taking some classes…maybe…
    Poisonperidot

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  23. I too wanted to be a marine biologist. Also a paleontologist but then I discovered I was claustrophobic. So the whole diving to the bottom of the ocean wasn't going to work. And forget about going into a cave to look for bones! I also wanted to be a lawyer, history teacher, writer, political scientist (what do they actually do??). I always knew I would graduate college. But then life happened. I went to a shitty college where everyone was an asshole, I met my husband two months before school started. I stuck with it for a year and a half, dropped out, then I lost my job at a cell phone kiosk and fell into insurance. I've been licensed in insurance sales for nearly six years and I love it. My boss is a-mah-zing. I have weekends off and I'm in "Good Hands." I have a beautiful four year old and a great husband. I'm still waiting to feel like a grown-up.

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  24. Wow, it's heartening to realize that so many of us are in the same kind of situation.

    I started university with the intention of studying science, probably chemistry, and considering med school. Yeah, that lasted maybe a semester. Labs, blech. (funny, considering that I'm thinking of going back and doing a science program). I had little to no direction, and could not justify the tuition when I really didn't know what I wanted to do. In hindsight, any degree would have been preferential to dropping out.

    I do bitch about my job a lot. A LOT!! But it's not the work so much as the people and office politics. I recognize that I do have it pretty good. But that won't stop me from complaining...

    @JJ - "Er, 17 year old Jenny was pretty sure she was going to end up in some kitschy little apartment writing poetry and masterful works of fiction and living an artsy life. Clearly, 17 year old Jenny was high as a kite."
    <-- Bahahahahahaha!! Clearly 17 year old Jenny and 17 year old Smitten should have been pals! ;)

    xo

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  25. MyHeartGoesPitterPattinsonApril 11, 2012 at 10:19 AM

    LKW, I think we are soul mates! I started off majoring in Meteorology and quickly realized I too would rather be day drinking with my friends than sitting in a Physics/Chemistry/Calculus lab and changed my major to Communication and now also work in advertising.

    I also do not punch a time clock, do not have to dress up, have my own office and a boss that regularly finds ways to incorporate the word "cunt" into peoples' names that he does not like and we say "fuck" usually very loudly around the office like it's our religion. In fact, he says the creative cursing handbook should be our official training manual.

    Am I doing what I thought? No. Will I be here forever? Probably not. Benefits are amazing but the pay is not going to sustain me forever. I would like a savings that exceeds triple digits one day. Just sayin...But I plan to enjoy every minute of it while I'm here. Honestly, the worst part is the idiot clients we deal with. JFC. I lose faith in humanity on a daily basis when talking to someone so stupid I can't fathom how they hold down a job.

    And if it makes you feel better I know someone who got a marine biology degree and then moved back home to farm...on land...in the midwest. No marine life remotely close.

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    1. GAH! A fellow ad agency person!! YAY! What do you do? Account services? Creative? Media? And your boss sounds a lot like my boss!!

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  26. Hmmm at first 17 year old me wanted to go into fashion design. But when I didn't get accepted to the only school west of the Rockies in Canada for fashion design I changed course.

    Architect yup took several courses, but never could get my shit together to finish it off. Did a bunch of secretary type shit for a bunch of years hating it then finally at 35 I said fuck it and I went back to school again taking a technology course for systems administration and I've never looked back. Yup I'm a big geek! I work for the provincial government, and I'm part of a team that administrates and manages over 300 servers. I love my job for the most part, enjoy the challenge of figuring out a problem.

    This job affords me the ability to travel and have a kick ass hobby room. I still love to sew and have a dream sewing room, I've also managed to combine both loves of computers and sewing into computerized embroidery and digital printing on fabric as a hobby and part time business.

    I guess I do have one or two small claims to fame in the fashion world.....

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  27. Great post - I love snooping into everyone's lives! :)

    Teenaged me wanted to play in the LA Philharmonic Orchestra and marry Donny Osmond, but realized about 3 years into college that a business degree might make more sense and Donny didn't wait for me. So... now I'm a boring accountant by day and celebrity stalker by night. I also got married and had three kids along the way. Life is good.

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    1. Um... I nearly spit out my coffee at this line: now I'm a boring accountant by day and celebrity stalker by night.

      I love you!!

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  28. I think all of you marine biologists watched too much Flipper, or maybe you just had a shit ton of Lisa Frank Trapper Keepers....No matter. I love it. I'm still waiting for someone to say "I wanted to be a lawyer, but then I became a marine biologist!" :)

    17yo Lindsay Rae...Wanted to get a degree in Speech Pathology and become a speech therapist. I always always wanted to work with language and communication in some way. Turns out, I wasn't fit to do that. So I changed paths to become a sign language interpreter. IT'S A BAQUILLION TIMES MORE AWESOME!!! I can call you a crotch rot addict without saying a single word. That's what I call a win.

    Oh, 17yo also wanted to marry The Bentist someday. SUCCESS!

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    1. The Lisa Frank trapper keepers definitely played a part in me becoming a marine biologist! Unfortunately the ocean isn't as colorful as Lisa makes it out to be...

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  29. Ok... I can't believe how many of you were in my shoes with the marine bio thing. Too weird!! I blame Sea World. And Jacques Cousteau.

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  30. In high school I wanted to be a vet, but snoring my way through biology convinced me otherwise. Later, snowboarding became big and that is what I wanted to do full time. Thing is, it costs a lot of money to get to a mountain and my attempts at it left me broke. I tried lifeguarding but too many people needed to be saved that couldn't swim and that was cutting into my tanning time. So I got a boring job in the auto insurance industry, met my husband, had 4 kids, good job choice. Now I am thinking about what I can do with the rest of my life. Maybe I'll try marine biology.

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  31. 17 yr old me wanted to be a teacher. I got my degree but public school didn't pan out. Way too much ass kissing and politics for me. I don't like BS. I taught preschool for 10 years and loved it, most of the time. I decided management would be a good idea so now I direct a child care center. Middle Management sucks. There a too many stupid people out there. The one good thing is I got to have my kids with me for the first 5 years of their lives. Now my youngest will be 6 and I could do something else I'm just not sure what. I've always loved history but most people don't make a good living at that either. Maybe next week I'll buy a lottery ticket...
    -Kate

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  32. Hmmm... I'm getting close to retiring and I have never decided what I want to be if I grow up. I only know that I will NOT grow up. When I was young I wanted to be a doctor or a scientist. But the medical schools I tried to get into did not want women. Out of close to 1,000 med students, 2 were women and only one made it through.

    Fortunately I fell into good positions throughout my career. My job right now allows me to wear blue jeans, sandals, T-shirts, whatever. Our hours are flexible and since we are salaried, we work until the work is done and leave early if we are finished. We work from home at least 2 days a week and can request projects. It will NEVER get better than this until I retire. I swear like a sailor, surf the net and I've brought my retired Greyhound to work. I love it here and my team is pretty close. We go out together after work and invite each other to our homes for various fun activities. When we travel, we definitely take care of each other. It is not unusual for the boss to announce it's time for treats and take us all out right after lunch and send everyone home. My husband has been retired for 3 years, but I may never leave.

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  33. I wanted to be Madonna's back up dancer. But, alas...that wasn't meant to be.
    So, I started out wanting to be a cop, then started on my criminal justice degree, switched to nursing and ended up a licensed professional counselor. I love my job. It's interesting and I basically make my own hours.
    Never thought I would be a 42 year old Twilight fan, that's for sure. Watching BD as I type this actually (you've given me no CHOICE Bella!!!!). Sigh.

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  34. I wanted to be a marine biologist (it's too fucking weird how many times that's popped up here) a zoologist or a vet, but it turns out I suck at chemistry. Also I'm allergic to cats. And horses, which ruled out professional show jumper.

    My dad kept pushing me to be a pilot like him (ever meet any pilots? No fucking thank you) and mom suggested primary school teaching, which I actually studied for a year till I discovered I suck at it. I got a BA in English and history after that.

    Family drama has kept me from having a real job or continuing my education, but I'm able to do it now. The one thing that remained constant was my love of art. I always thought I couldn't make a career out of it, but if the aforementioned family drama had taught me nothing else it's that life is too short not to go for what you want, and I really wanna go to art school. My dream job would be to work for Jim Hensons creature workshop or making the puppets they use for stop-animations like the Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline. Not the actual animation. I don't have the patience.

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  35. I dreamed of being a major news reporter. I set up my own internship at a local station while in high school to get credit towards college and made it through a year of broadcasting school only to miss finals to give birth to my now 17 year old! I have not had the money or time to go back.
    For the last 10 years I've been playing with 18 wheeler's and dump trucks. I have my Class A license and drove for a year and now I deal with customers and their freight and their bitching. I do not enjoy it and would give anything to be doing something else that pays decently. I am hugely jealous of all you advertising peeps who get free perm's and tickets! If I'm lucky, I get a free coffee mug or hat...fml.

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  36. Originally I was going to be a vet or a professional roller skater.

    Then I was going to be a horse breeder.

    Then I went to college and got a psychology degree.

    I have been working 19 years for a medical device company - first as a label control specialist, then a documentation control specialist and now a regulatory affairs specialist.

    Is it my dream? No. Does it meet many of my requirements for a good life? Yes

    It pays well, I like most of my co-workers, no weekends or nights to work, good benefits, close to home and all my errands, the duties I perform fit my personality perfectly and our products save people's lives and help them live better lives - I can't ask for more than that.

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  37. I wanted to be a graphic designer when I was in HS. I studied Art History, and wasn't all that bad (though the focus was on Impressionism, and now, when I see impressionist art, I cringe. I think I OD'd on it). Sadly, my circs at the time meant that I couldn't really afford to go study, and in retrospect I guess that's not such a bad thing. So much has changed in the world of design since I was at HS.

    I ended up bumming about for a year after HS, before landing myself the obligatory job (for my generation, at least) as a secretary. I moved on swiftly to Marketing & Communications before falling madly (and rather stupidly) in love and leaving home for another country and unemployment...

    Since then, I've bummed about a bit more ;-)

    I thought I'd earned my lucky break in 2001 when I finally started working in a field that also happens to be my (geeky) hobby - IT. Just over a decade later, and I'm bored to the back teeth with it. But it's a job. And it (just about) keeps me in the manner to which I'm accustomed.

    If I had my time all over again, I feel sure I'd work harder at finding a job that enables me to embrace my creativity. But, at this point, I feel blessed to have a job at all.

    There is a silver lining to this cloud: I can curse at my boss - cuz she knows that's just how I roll ;-) I'd never tell her about my secret life though ;-)

    CC x

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  38. My senior year in high school I wanted to be an OB/GYN... until I trailed at a clinic for a day. Too many vaginas for me (I think I just really wanted to deliver babies) So after I nixed that idea I decided on culinary/baking and pastry (because checking out vaginas and food are so similar) I went to culinary school and then baking and pastry school and I have been working in a bakery in a Las Vegas casino for 6 years now. I like my job...most days.Thankfully I can be loud and curse as much as I like and I don't have to work in a cubicle. But I don't think I want to work there forever. I've never wanted to be the boss but I need a job that pays well (obviously). I want to work with cheese...or recipe testing for Food and Wine magazine. I just need to figure out how to do that.

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