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In honor of my not-so-secret birthday, let's discuss what careers we envisioned for ourselves as kids. Did you have just one idea that all your dreams were made of, or was your future more of a moving target?
I was one of the latter - each year I had a new profession that I was gonna be when I grew up. Here's my list; note that my "years" are based on school years not calendar years, as my memories are inevitably tied to what grade I was in at the time, not how old I was.
Pre-school - garbage man
I was in awe of the garbage trucks and how they could "gruff" the trash in the compactor!
Kindergarten - ornithologist
My favorite book was the Field Guide to Birds of North America and I loved to watch hawks and vultures soaring above.
1st grade - construction worker
I wanted to operate a lime green front-end loader because I loved giant construction machines.
2nd grade - center fielder for the Detroit Tigers and wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals
The hometown Tigers had just won the World Series and the Bengals had cool helmets; apparently I was going to be Bo Jackson!
3rd grade - paleontologist
I was going to dig up fossils to study prehistoric mammals; my favorite was Andrewsarchus for obvious reasons. :)
4th grade - zoologist
I wanted to study large mammalian predators such as wolves, bears, and big cats
5th grade - marine biologist
In particular I wanted to study marine mammals, especially orcas and dolphins.
6th grade - fiction writer
Reading countless Newberry Medal books got me thinking that I could write cool stories, too.
7th grade - forest ranger
I loved trees, especially redwoods and sequoias. A family trip to Yellowstone National Park inspired this one.
8th grade - canine and/or dolphin behaviorist
My plan was to understand dog/dolphin communication and ultimately learn to speak their language.
9th grade - astronaut
My dream was to take part in the first mission to walk on Mars.
10th grade - architect
I read a book about Frank Lloyd Wright and loved the concept of blending form with function.
11th grade - aerospace engineer
I loved airplanes and flying; plus, it sounded impressive when written on a college application.
12th grade - helicopter pilot
I had started taking flying lessons and preferred "low and slow" rather than "high and fast" flying.
How did I choose? With my eyesight too poor to become a pilot, I stuck to the most recent available career and became an aerospace engineer; besides, I kinda felt locked in by virtue of my choice of college major. In college I did revisit the pilot idea with the Marines when I found out they offered waivers for imperfect eyesight; however, my vision was way too nearsighted for a waiver and I didn't want to be a back-seater.
I might have considered careers in athletics had I thought that was an option; however, from an early age my mom instilled that such careers were dead-ends and sports were just games. Now that I realize how possible it is to have meaningful careers in athletics, perhaps my interests there would've received more serious attention.
Ironically (or perhaps predictably) I'm presently none of the professions listed above; I still call myself an aerospace engineer but in truth I work as a computer systems engineer for a company that puts their products on aircraft. In retrospect I probably would've preferred a career in the natural sciences because as cool as technology is, it's never more fascinating than nature.
"What are five books that changed your life?"
Presented in the order that I read them...
The Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss
The very first book I learned to read, and it's still worth reading! I was fascinated by the imagination, the rhyme, the made-up words, and the colors. Very few authors can represent "creativity" the way Dr. Seuss could.
Guide to Field Identification of the Birds of North America by Golden Books
I bought this as a gift for my dad not because he wanted it, but because I wanted it - I was four years old at the time. By kindergarten I had picked a favorite bird on each page and memorized its info (coloring, wingspan, etc.) Birds were the source of my interest in flying. There's now a 2001 edition.
Watership Down by Richard Adams
My dad read this book to me in 3rd or 4th grade, and I've re-read it on my own a few times since. The story is is told from the point of view of some rabbits! The author even created a glossary of rabbit language; our favorite was "hru-du-du" meaning any motor vehicle. This book caused me to wonder if animals have language, feelings, and societies just like we do.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson
I first read this in 4th or 5th grade and it really struck a chord with me. Maybe I learned that stories can evoke strong emotions? After this book - a Newberry AwardNewberry Medal and Newberry Honor books as possible. They are ALL very good and worth reading, even as an adult.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A book I read in high school (and again in college) that seemed very emblematic at the time. Despite a darkly negative setting, to me the story was about hope. It was also eerily ironic that before reading this book, I had memorized the entire poem The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe because I enjoyed it so much.
If want to know some good books that I'd recommend besides these five, check out my Bibliophil library!