Living the Dream

Didn't you hate it when people always asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up?

Oh, the pressure!  It was if my entire future depended on answering that question correctly.

I tried various occupations out.  For example, see the nurse's kit I was holding in the picture?  (I know, forget the bad haircut and the cheesy grin) I wanted to be a nurse, I really did.  My grandma always told me to be trained as a nurse because it paid good and you made the nurse's aides do all the dirty work. (She was a nurse's aide, herself)  But I can't stand blood ... or owies of any kind. So, I had to get rid of the nurse's kit.


I was also interested in becoming a scientist.  I loved trying various experiments as a kid with my junior chemistry set.  My brother and I set up a pretend laboratory in the basement.  I mainly remember messing around with lumps of coal and putting them in jars with various liquids.  I can't remember what I hoped to discover ...

The idea of being a scientist fizzled out.

So, I turned to books for inspiration for a career.

I was very easily influenced by the things I read as a child.  One of my earliest memories of reading a real chapter book was the story of Bambi - the real Bambi, not the Disney version of the story. Next, a story about an animal doctor who took care of animals in Africa gripped my imagination.  I wish so much that I could remember the title of that book!  Anyway, after reading those books, I came up with the idea of becoming a veterinarian and moving to Africa to help animals.

I can't begin to tell you all the reasons that dream would never work for me.  At that point in my life, I had never even had a pet.  I am not sure if I had ever even touched an animal. Later on, I did get my first pet. It was a goldfish.  It died.  Then I got a parakeet.  It died. My next pet was a dog.  We ended up moving and gave it to my grandmother and I never missed her.  (The dog, I mean I never missed the dog!) So, yeah, I'm not an animal person.

And as for going to Africa, I really laugh at that idea now.  I cannot stand to sweat.  Why would I want to live near the equator?

So, scratch veterinarian off the list.

I discovered mystery novels about the time I started watching television shows that featured secret agents, so for a very long time I dreamed of becoming a spy.

I could never top the telling of my adventures as Honey West, Girl Spy, so if you are wondering why I gave that career up, click on the link and read all about it.

One ambition I've always had has stuck with my through the years, the desire to write.  I've not published anything for pay, yet, but as a blogger, I'm living the dream!

This post was written in response to Writer's Workshop prompt 1.) Something you wanted to be when you grew up. To read more responses, visit Kathy's blog, Mama's Losin' It.