What Do You Want to be When You Grow Up?

I’ve never really known what I want to be when I grow up, and as I get older, I actually appreciate that more and more. I mean, if I’d known for sure that I wanted to be a ballerina, I would probably be having multiple foot surgeries now. Or if I’d been a stewardess? (My ex-husband left me for a stewardess. I don’t think that counts).

And if my father hadn’t dissuaded me from thinking of becoming a veterinarian by declaring that veterinarians have to be really good at math (a sure way to convince me that going to vet school was beyond my abilities), I could be up to my armpits in ailing animals right about now.

At least now I know of quite a few things that I don’t want to be.

I had a boyfriend once who told me he knew from the time he was five years old that he wanted to be an engineer (we’re talking construction, here - not locomotive). All his attention was focused in that direction, and the last time I saw him, he was headed to college, well on his way to his goal. What if, once he finally got there, he realized that being an engineer wasn’t all it was cracked up to be?

It’s not like I haven’t been doing anything with my life. I’ve been busy trying things and ruling them out. For example, here are a few that didn’t make the cut:

Famous Singer
Circus Performer
Religious Right
Flower Child
Stewardess
Jockey
Veterinarian

I don’t like smoky bars and loud music, so “Famous Singer” got tossed. My aversion to carnies kind of precluded me being a Circus Performer (I really just wanted to take care of the animals, anyway).

“Religious Right” didn’t fit (I just don’t do well with intolerance and hypocrisy), but “Flower Child” didn’t work either, because I’m not into mind-altering drugs and I really love eating the occasional char-grilled steak.

I wasn’t tall (or thin) enough to be a stewardess, but I was too tall (and heavy) to be a jockey. I did try working as a vet tech for a few months, but quickly realized I’d much rather love animals than hold sick, hurting critters down for veterinary procedures.

I kind of accidentally ended up working in a law firm, but you know, a law office is a great place to work while you figure out what you want to do when you grow up (especially if you aren’t a lawyer). The work is steady, and if you’re really lucky, like I was, you can end up in an office full of folks that are like family.

I don’t think it’s too late to decide what I want to be when I grow up. I still have some growing up to do, as a matter of fact. And I don’t think I’ll be done growing up until I take my last breath.

I wonder what I’ll be when I grow up . . .

How about you?