Sitting in the classroom, looking out of the window, chewing hard at the end tip of my pencil, deep in thought as my little mind ran through the title of my essay ‘What I want to be when I grow up?”
Does this scenario sound vaguely familiar to you?
So what did you want to be when you grow up? Do you still able to recall?
I know I had plenty of dreams. I wanted to be an art teacher, a graphic designer, and a businesswoman (in my child like words, someone who makes decisions at work with a briefcase and drives a sports car).
When in the phase of growing up, I had tried numerous positions. I have been a childcare teacher, an apprentice bartender, a dental therapist and a great deal more until I settled into the corporate life…
20 years later, I might have worn my tailored suits with a briefcase (hate it) and I still haven’t get my driver’s license. But I have never regret the career choices I made. No doubt I substitute my childhood ambition with a little twist here and there, like fulfilling the dream of teaching as a childcare teacher, I get to incorporate arts and craft with the little ones. As for graphics designer, I’m channelling the creativity into words and writing in MiddleMe and LadyRedot as well as for my clients. I did my stint as a businesswoman, involving in decisions and being all important in the corporate world.
I never wanted to grow up as a lawyer or a doctor or an astronaut. Something where it is the dream your parents would want you to grow up to be. It’s tough being my parents. Many Singaporean parents would want their kids to go to university and get a medical or law degree but how many of us really get close to fulfilling their childhood ambition?
Life doesn’t just throw opportunities along your path just because you wrote down barrister in your essay. Our innocent little minds just have the impression based on the role models that we have seen or come in contact with. What I do know is that no parents will wish their kid’s ambition is to be a salesman, a waitress or even working in a call centre. However, many of us do that, whether it is a pit stop until something better comes along or it is a means to livelihood.
I considered myself one of the lucky ones who get close in fulfilling my dreams. Maybe it’s because my parents did not really pin down their expectations on me and allow me to dabble in different industries as I muddled my way through several career choices. Or maybe because I have much simpler childhood dreams.
When I do have kids one day, I’ll tell them don’t pin down your dream job too early, try your hands at different kind of jobs and you never know your niche and your passion might be the job that you never thought you will be in.
So share with us, what was your childhood ambition? Did you get to fulfil it?
MiddleMe 
Superbly written Kally…m compelled to tell u that I love this…..perhaps it happens with most of us and many will drew similar stance as urs…u seem to b a more mature kid as by ur choices in ur childhood coz as per me I always wanted to ‘Batman’…lolzz
Beautifully presented …love those pics 🙂
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Haha! If I tell my parents, I wanted to be Wonder Woman, they probably wonder what’s wrong with me..
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Likewise 😀
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Wonderful article that brings back memories … somewhat embarrassing! LOL It’s okay, though; I actually wanted to be President of the United States. 😀 Now I wouldn’t have that “job” for the world! LOL It’s good to remember, though, because your childhood dreams inevitably flow into what you HAVE become. I’m so glad to know that you are fulfilled in adulthood. What an encouragement for readers! And your wonderful blog is also an important and beautiful part of who you are! All the best to you, Kally! 🙂
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Wow!! Huge dreams for a young Jonathan!! Well, you’ll never know whether you’ll be a president of some sort in your life. 🙂
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I totally wanted to be an astronaut. Did not even come close. Am quite happy with what I do now…although one OTHER thing I wanted to do as a child was publish a book, and I still haven’t done that, and would like to. When I was a kid I was always full of ideas and writing them down, but as an adult, my idea generator seems to be clogged. So that is one thing for me to work on.
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I think being able to publish your own book is totally reachable nowadays. I look forward one day in seeing your book on Amazon or even in the bookstores!! Go get your dreams!
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Great post. I would definitely say be open-minded and test the waters. My childhood dream was to be a veterinarian. In high school, I developed a love for the lab sciences and ended up studying biochemistry in university. I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for many years and now I’m going back to school so I can work in healthcare. I think there are different phases in our lives for a reason. They each teach us something new and contribute to our growth. Thank you for this insightful post and all the best to you! 🙂
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I wanted to be a psychologist for children -although I already knew back ten I didn’t want to have children of my own, become a ballerina, a lab-technician and became a tour guide, a hostess, worked at a currency exchange office. Went back to school to become a social worker, worked at a playground for little kids, and two schools for children with learning and behavior problems. Then I got into the jobs as an administration assistant, secretary and management assistant and worked also as an clinical study assistant. After ten years I reached the highest level in that administration sphere and I had enough. By online studies I became an animal therapist and had little practice of my own.
I closed down the practice after moving to Germany and nowadays I give free advice to people with dogs and run our own Dreampack. And among other passions I write 🙂
Love this post Kally…I think I will borrow this idea of you for a post of my own 😉 Big hug, Patty
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