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What Did You Want To Be When You Grew up?
GarandMarine:
And where did you end up instead?
I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wanted to be a Marine fighter pilot, preferably flying these gorgeous beasts:
With a master's degree in aerospace engineering earned at whatever Embry Riddle campus had an NROTC program. I wanted to be a military lifer, with the goal of getting my PhD and eventually applying for the U.S. Astronaut program. Sure every kid says they want to be an astronaut when they grow up, but I had a plan and a hell of a mentor when I was little.
Lieutenant Colonel Carlos Noriega, USMC my next door neighbor until his first mission aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis, after which he and his family permanently relocated to Florida. I even got to go see a launch.
Sadly reality's a bit of a bitch when she wants to be, and my particular dream got cold clocked pretty hard.
1. My vision was, until surgical correction last year, 20/440. So I was fucked for ANY form of military aviation as a pilot, much less the Astronaut Corps.
2. I have a SERIOUS learning disability with theoretical mathematics. I can do applied algebra, even calculus. I can prove it because I'm still alive. Doing advanced math is just part of the day job for a crew chief, one fucked up formula on a weight and balance means I and the rest of the crew are dead. Theoretical math? The kind you need to get into say... aerospace engineering courses? Good luck.
So where did I end up?
Well so far I still joined the Marines. 1/3 ain't all awful when you shoot high. I've worked in all kinds of places all over the U.S. and I'm getting back to school to go in for a trade I enjoy.
Metope:
I wanted to be a vet, because I love animals. Of course, it was the sort of foolish wish that wasn't really thought through, when I realised that I would have to actually be in charge of living things surviving or not, and sometimes the 'not' is a thing, hell no. I just wanted to have a job that was basically being a visitor in a petting zoo. ... I was very little when I thought being a vet was a good idea for me.
After that, I knew I wanted to be something that dealt with creativity on a visual level. I've always loved drawing, painting and being creative in general, heavily influenced by my mother who is now an art teacher, and was then an illustrator. Mostly though she is just incredibly crafty and creative, and can make anything out of anything. Like, I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said she's like the MacGyver of art. I'm not half as creative as her and I usually stick to very traditional materials (oil on canvas, yawn), but at least I'm doing something artistic! I am currently in the process of finishing up a BA in fine art, and I have a BA in art history already. While I often joke about having two useless degrees, I actually think it's really good to have one practical and one theoretical degree on the same subject.
As of an actual job with a reasonable income, I don't know. Hopefully I'll get a job at a museum or gallery and I can sell stuff I make on the side, but who knows. Fingers crossed though! But yeah, at the moment I'm doing what I wanted to do as a kid, and hopefully I'll be able to continue. Having a pretty vague idea to begin with (anything within art), is a good way to start, I think.
Aimless:
In (more or less) chronological order: Doctor, pilot, teacher, doorman, writer, astrophysicist, anything but doctor, cognitive neuroscientist, taller, biomedical scientist, doctor, father.
I now work as a doctor, I reckon my future is in neurology, I do a tiny bit of clinical teaching and will likely do more teaching over the coming years esp. once the PhD work starts up, I have a compulsive urge to open doors for people, I'm a little afraid of heights, I'm short, and I have imaginary children. It's weird how these things work out. Looks like I was right the first time :)
jwhouk:
I wanted to be a race car driver.
Scared my parents silly, especially when I finally got my license - and got into three accidents within my first year of driving. (One totaled the first car I ever "owned" - my mom's old Hornet Sportabout.)
snalin:
I wanted to make video games when I was a kid and now I program video games.
But I'm only 22, so I might still end up doing something soul crushing when I get older, who knows.
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