So, what did you want to be when you grow up?

[Prowler]

You know the classic question adults ask kids: "what do you want to be when you grow up?". Im sure EVERYONE has been asked that when they were kids.

Well, my answer was always "I don't know." But there's people who have known what they wanted to be since they were little. As in, already knowing they wanted to be doctors or something when they were 6. When I was 6, all I thought about were cartoons and toys. Sure I had decent grades in school and all, but how could I possibly have any idea what I wanted to be when I grow up?

I guess a lot of kids just follow the same path as their parents. Or are pressured by their relatives to pursue a certain field. I think we've all met a family or two where a certain job seems to be over represented. Or a guy who's a doctor... and so are his parents and his uncles.

So, what did you want to be when you grow up? Did you know what you wanted to be or were you like me and also had no idea?

[Andrew NDB]

First it was a car mechanic, for some reason. Then a carpenter, I think. When I was like 6. When I was 12 or so it was writer, for sure.

[IndigoErth]

Likewise didn't really know. I'd pick something rather generic animal related like veterinarian, but wasn't really something I ever actually wanted.

What I'd later want didn't really even exist yet anyhow since the computer age was still rather young at the time. A kid who was playing the old Oregon Trail game in school on a computer with a black and white (green?) screen who'd eventually dream of 3D modeling/animation. Just saying.

[oldmanwinters]

Railroad Train Engineer, video game tester, "something with computers"...

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

First it was a car mechanic, for some reason. Then a carpenter, I think. When I was like 6. When I was 12 or so it was writer, for sure.

Probably because boys love cars. You must have had lots of car toys when you were a kid. I sure had several of those.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

I always wanted to be a famous artist when I was little. Perhaps that dream is still realizable.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

I always wanted to be a famous artist when I was little. Perhaps that dream is still realizable.

People always find it strange when I tell them I don't have a dream.

"Everyone has a dream, come on."

Well, I don't. There's things I'd like to do sure, but wouldn't call them dreams.

[DarkFell]

Either a violinist or a keyboard musician. Unfortunately, the keyboard that I had died some years ago and I don't have a violin.

Otherwise, I've been drawing since I was a kid, and I still do that. A concept artist seems like a nice place to start. Three more credits until graduation with an Associate's degree.

I feel more attached to pets than I used to be in my younger years. Something like a shelter worker or a foster pet parent would be nice. However, my animal shelter hasn't gotten back with me yet.

[mrmaczaps]

A hired gun... lol.

I honestly have no idea. I don't recall and since my dad passed a few years back, I can't ask him. Mom wouldn't recall. At one point, probably a Ninja Turtle and that one sort of came true.

[Wesley]

I didn’t really know either. Thought of being a shop owner or something to do with computers, though I knew little about what those jobs would actually entail.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Wesley

I didn’t really know either. Thought of being a shop owner or something to do with computers, though I knew little about what those jobs would actually entail.

Being a shop owner would have been pretty nice many years ago. Nowadays we live in an era where big chains basically at e more dominant than ever. More and more of those family owned neighbourhood shops are closing each year. Really sad.

[Icebot]

I thought of being a builder, then airline reservationist.

I just do Accounting work now.

[Leo656]

Rich.

I didn't know how, I was never a details guy.

Suffice to say, didn't pan out.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Always knew I wanted to be a writer. It's literally been part of who I am for as long as I can remember. Always had the desire to tell stories, and I've been writing them since first grade, I think. But what really cemented it was a book I read in about 4th grade, it was Ogre, Ogre by Piers Anthony. That one, and the following book Night Mare, had author's notes at the end that inspired me with what he had to say about the impact of writing on the reader. Specifically, one fan in particular who had been in a coma after being hit by a drunk driver, whose mother had been reading her the author's books while she was in the coma, hoping to her recover, because she loved them so much. He has been so moved by the mother's letter about the experience, that he began corresponding with her, writing letters to the teen and even put her in one of his books. That brought her back and she eventually recovered almost completely, in spite of being so severely injured to the point that she was in a wheelchair for years. That story drove home to me how much something as simple as creating worlds for others to enjoy can change a life.

Cut to years later, and I got a second lesson in the value of a story when I read the trade book of J M Strazynski's run on Amazing Spider-Man, volume two, that has the 9-11 tribute, as well as the Happy Birthday arc and May's discovery of his secret. The story arc and the tribute both brought me to tears, something I'd never had a comic book do before. They showed me just how a story in ANY form, even comics, can be so much more than just a good tale,and left me stunned how serious and moving they can be. So, yeah, writing using my blood, but in my heart, especially!

[MrPliggins]

Astronaut, Carpenter, Comic Book Artist.

[Bahamut810]

The very first thing is that I wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force "like my dad". Turned out my dad lied to me, he was in the Air force but was not a pilot.

[Sage Ninja]

the first thing ever I wanted to be was a cartoonist because I loved to draw so much. But when everything started going CGI I got discourages a bit and I ultimately let my drawing ability slip. I genuinely wish I had maintained my drawing abilities since it was at the bare minimum a hobby that I found soothing. At the very least I could have made it my side hustle, if I had kept it up and learned the digital aspects of drawing. I have seen some amazing things that people have come up with and I always feel a twinge of regret that I let that part of me go. The old adage "you use it or you lose it" is very true.

[Prowler]

What about those jobs where most people who end up there didn't have it as their dream job when they were young?

Teaching seems to be one of those. My mother was a teacher, but that wasn't her dream job at all. She first wanted to join the Navy, but women in Portugal were not allowed in the Navy back in her day. And by the time they began allowing them, my mother had either already discarded the idea or had no way to join the Navy anymore.

She also wanted to become a banker at some point, but I think that was a just a hollow dream of hers when she was a kid.

And honestly, I haven't met or heard of many teachers whose dream job was to become a teacher. Often they're people who end up teaching because they couldn't find anything better or a work in their field. Thus, it was either working as a cashier or becoming a teacher. At least being a teacher pays better and is a stable job if you work for public schools. Public function workers get job stability, safety and some benefits, even if they don't make that much money.

I feel like a lot of people who become school teachers are people who don't really have practical skills beyond, well, teaching subjects. "oh I don't know how to do anything... but I can speak German, so I guess I'll just become a German teacher!"

That being said, teachers are important and I believe our society and governments should treat them better than they do. I know all jobs have their utilities and their importance, but without teachers... we'd have no doctors, no engineers, no lawyers, no writers, no artists, etc.

[ProphetofGanja]

I wanted to be a pirate when I was little.

Needless to say, I've been wildly successful.

[Sumac]

Paleontologist or astronomer.