What did you want to be

For a while I wanted to be a nurse - 3 of my aunts and my grandmother were nurses so that’s probably why. Then I thought about being a teacher.

I don’t do any of that. I’m a medical coder and currently work in Pathology & Immunology.

This is what I wanted too.  I wanted to marry a man that was kind and made everyone laugh.  I wanted about 6 children.  And I wanted several different pretty aprons to wear when I cooked dinners and frosted cupcakes.  I did take a cake decorating class with my mom when I was in high school.  It was her idea, not mine, and she didn’t want to take the class by herself.  And truthfully, I hate cake.  Decorating was fun, but I never liked eating them.

It didn’t really work out for me as I had wanted.  I did get married to my junior high school boyfriend.  I had one child and found out he was having an affair when I was in my 8th month of pregnancy.  I kicked him out immediately, but my mom talked me into letting him move back in, mainly because I was having his child.  I told him I would try to make the marriage work for a year and if I felt the same way at the end of the year, then that was it for me. After several months, I knew that it could never work for me again.  Without trust, I couldn’t love or respect him. I asked for a divorce when my son was 8 months old.  I never married again and didn’t have any more children.  I actually do have an apron, but it is plain and utilitarian, nothing like the pretty ones I imagined as a little girl.

ETA:  My dad always thought I should have become an attorney.  Or a something in the medical field, a doctor or get into some type of research.  He used to tell me that being a mom was an important job, but that he felt I could do so much more.  He basically insinuated I would be wasting my intelligence if only aspired to be a mother.  He never pushed either of my siblings toward anything.  Looking back, I wish I had followed through with his aspirations for me.

The main thing I wanted to be was a mom. For a carer, I thought teacher but that was just because my parents were both teachers and we lived in a very small town and I wasn’t exposed to many options.

What really happened: I became a mom. I was mostly a SAHM for the first part of life (and worked at home for our family business) and then I went back to school and I ended up in a socialWork type field. And I love my then job and now job.

I wanted to be a radio DJ and personality ... I have a diploma in Broadcasting (from way back in 1989!) ... I graduated and then realized that I would be working in small hick towns making no money forever ... breaking into big markets is HARD! 

I was still young so I managed CD stores for years ... money was bad in that too but the perks were good.  

After that I realized that I needed money so I went into education and became a junior high teacher ... the job my mum thought I should have had all along!    

As a young kid, I always pretend played that I was a teacher. In Junior High, I wanted to be an architect. In high school, I don’t know why, I wanted to be a forestry major. In my early college years, I wanted to be a computer programmer. I became none of those, and somehow ended up in business. When I retire, I want to be an artist. 😂

I wanted to be a veterinarian. I went so far as attending a specialized high school that had an animal science program. I don't remember what happened but I lasted at that school for a year. I loved science and I thought I was going to be pre-med but then discovered I can't stand the sight of blood or the thought of bones or people in pain. So then I decided to become a scientist which I did for a few years but decided it wasn't quite what I wanted. On a whim I applied to law school and got accepted. Best choice I ever made since I love what I do.

I was being prompted (by my mom) to be a Speech Language Pathologist when I was in Jr High and High School.

When I was in Grade 12, I had all of my required credits in my 1st semester so was going to have a lot of "spares" the 2nd. They didnt like that, so they put me in "work experience" and I was place in a local travel agency. My mentor there was an amazing lady.

I ended up going to college for Travel and Tourism, along with Business Admin. I have been a Travel Consultant for ever since (I just typed how many years, but it made me feel old).

I don't remember wanting to be any vocation as a little kid but I took my first accounting class in high school and that was it, I was hooked. Spent my whole working career as an Accountant, and now that I am retired, I volunteer doing accounting duties for a non-profit.

I also worked with many people who had started down one path, even obtaining degrees and ending up doing something different.

This is what dd picked as her major. She is getting an AA in Geology and then will transfer to a 4 year university and get her BS in Paleontology.

She is currently working at a local museum as a volunteer intern with the Earth Sciences Dept. She works in the Dino Lab and also with minerals.

Right now she is learning about microfossils and has found 3 so far.

Cool question! At one point (early HS, maybe?) I thought it would be fun to be an architect. That aspiration didn't last very long, and I wanted to be a sportscaster (ya know, back before there were female sportscasters ). I also thought at one point I would like to be a journalist who specialized in food writing and/or a food critic. 

I am none of those things, although I do still love food, writing, sports/sports analysis/sports writing, and looking at houses and house designs. I was good in math & science so I was going to be an electrical engineer like my Dad...that lasted through 1.5 years of college and I hit a wall (called physics, LOL) and decided that EE was boring, so on a whim I took a computer programming class and loved it. (Call it an educated whim, though - I had a pretty good idea by that time that I would love it.) So I ended up w/a CS degree and worked as a programmer/software developer for most of my career, and I now lead a team of technical writers in a software development group. Our group also manages software releases. In my career I've spent some time as a teacher (preschool), as a software trainer, and doing many different types of tech writing. 

My mom was an elementary teacher who eventually got her master's degree and became an elementary school administrator. My sister teaches HS science and my brother is a software developer. And I married a software developer who originally wanted to be an architect LOL! I feel like this path totally makes sense for me and those in my circle. (And a lot of my friends are teachers LOL.)

John Glenn made his first famous trip to space when I was 5 years old. I always wanted to become an astronaut after that. I even wrote to Mr. Glenn and have a handwritten letter from him!

When I was in high school, I wanted to be an archaeologist. Even went on a dig in college. But the amount of math I'd need was more than I could accomplish plus I knew I'd need a very advanced degree and could barely afford to get my Bachelor degree.

I wanted to be an author and write books like Nancy Drew. Alas, there was only one Carolyn Keene.

When I was really little an artist.
Then a dancer.
Then a doctor.

I wanted to be a veterinarian (shocker) and I also thought I wanted to be a fancy oncologist. I didn't know the actual word for oncologist, and I didn't realize there are a million varieties of specialties. I also didn't know who I am.

I didn't get to be either because... Well- my parents were in their repo/unemployment/generational poverty era. They are still living the poverty, just above water mindset and lifestyle. But, they feel like they are doing pretty well based on those all around them. And I think they are ok. Retirement from the state coming in, medical pretty darn good, paid off 15 year old trucks, and dilapidated home, but it's theirs.

There was no money, no one had been to college in my family or family circle- quite frankly, I didn't know student loans or grants existed, and I thought scholarships were only for if you were going to a fancy school, which I couldn't afford to live there. I didn't take the SAT, and I sure as hell didn't fill out a FAFSA.

In hindsight, I was failed by every single solitary teacher in my high school, as well as guidance counselors and whoever else I can cast in that net. I graduated with a 4.O (we didn't have AP or any other type classes in my school. All A's was 4.0.) I only went to school 42 days my senior year, and even less my junior year. Not ONE call to my parents. Not one sit down with anyone in the school other than rolled eyes by my homeroom teacher if I was late. But that didn't happen alot, because I figured out if I was late- I got detention, and was late for my fast food job after school. If I just didn't go... no one cared.

So, I farted around after school for a year, then joined the military. I got my first AS while active duty in less than a year. I was used to managing to the syllabus and zipping through super easy tasks/books. I got my first BS while active duty as well. During that time, I had alot of exposure to both animal and human healthcare. I took extra duty with the vets office on post, and found that I loved veterinary medicine. But I didn't want to work with companion animals. Because I didn't care for the "companions." I didn't yet know what it was to balance a family budget and have a random $1500 vet bill pop up and literally not be able to afford it. I was judgy that not everyone was able to afford preventatives (back then heartworm and flea and tick meds were considered frivolity.)

I was also working in healthcare settings and learned soooo much about the different "jobs" available- I'd had NO idea!! And I found a couple that I would have been totally happy doing! Most of them involved working with the patient while they are knocked out- perfusion and anesthesiology are two that I think I would have enjoyed.

I had a full scholarship to an Ivy League school for when I got out of the military and my stupid butt continued to make dumb decisions. I let that go to "follow my heart." UGGH.

Anyway, I managed to land on my feet with a pretty decent paying job, which I'm pretty dang good at and continued gaining responsibility (and pay) over the course of what has now been over 20 years. In the meantime... I earned another BS, a Master's, Ph.D, and they really are just wall art (if I was to hang them) they don't do anything for my career, except give me some initials after my name. I love learning, and this fall, I plan on refreshing some of my ancient coursework by taking some classes that cover information that wasn't even a thing the first time I took those classes and I've only learned over the course of my evolving field. I'd like a better understanding, and also, to have some of the background that the folks I interface with daily have.

Could I go back to school now to become what I thought I wanted to be? Yes, and I've considered it many times over the years. But, honestly, I make more money and have way more flexibility with what I do now. And I actually think I find it more interesting. Plus, alot of those years, I was a single mom and needed the income/stability of work.

No, I didn't become what I wanted to become back then. But I'm pretty happy with what I did become, and I didn't know it existed.