# What did you want to be when you grew up? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 8, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706 "2004-12-08T05:57:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/1 "2004-12-08T05:57:07Z")
The title says it all. 😉 I was dying to become a doctor when I was little; I kept putting band-aids on and stitching up my stuffed animals, wrapping gauze around all of them until they looked like little mummies. That dream promptly ended the moment I saw a dead squirrel on the road, felt queasy and sick to my stomach, and realized I’d be hopeless around blood and guts. I then wanted to be a famous movie star. Who hasn’t? But alas, I can’t act (I keep smiling when I’m on stage, I can’t help it… plus, I’m just not that good overall at it. But I do love it as a hobby!). I dreamed about becoming a writer–and I still do. I just have more modest expectations about my success 😃 Now I’m in university, and thinking of being a teacher or, better yet, a professor. Who can argue with all that vacation time? 😉 Also, I love kids and teaching–a match made in heaven. What about all of you? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/2 "2004-12-08T06:01:56Z")
> [@Kythereia](#): > > What about all of you? I wanted to be a Fighter pilot , I grew up watching Baa Baa Black sheep , re-runs of the battle of Brittain , and so forth. [most religious experience]Watching Top Gun on the Big screen down at Ontario Place[/most religious experience] Declan ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/3 "2004-12-08T06:03:01Z")
I wanted to be a musician, and a radio announcer. I’m all growed up, and gloryoski, I do both! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/4 "2004-12-08T06:37:08Z")
From about kindergarten to 2nd grade, a doctor, like every other kid. From third grade to about sixth grade, a professional wrestler or USAF officer. From seventh to about ninth, an astronomer From about ninth to twelfth, a historian Now? Being an anthropologist would be cool. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/5 "2004-12-08T06:41:57Z")
I wanted to be a journalist until an evil high school teacher crushed that desire. She meant it for my harm, but someday I will thank her 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/6 "2004-12-08T06:45:43Z")
A paleontologist! I’ve wanted to be one since I saw the dinos at a museum in BC, I _still_ want to be one but things are a little tougher now, so I’m going to be an accountant. But my plastic T-rex still stands on my bureau and every time I watch Jurassic Park I get chills down my spine when we first see the dinosaurs. ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/7 "2004-12-08T06:46:30Z")
When I was a kid I wanted to be a veterinarian. I don’t know why I gave up on that. Then i wanted to be an astronaut. But the Challenger blew up, so i nixed that idea. Then I wanted to be a missionary. But I got corrupt and pagan, so that idea was out of the window. I’m now a nurse. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/8 "2004-12-08T06:50:32Z")
A gymnast. An astronaut. A bus driver (what? It would be so cool to drive all day and see the whole city). A marine biologist – no, a marine veterinarian, during my shark fascination. Other girls loved horses, I loved sharks. A writer. And, idly, playing video games all day. I just didn’t think that was possible. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/9 "2004-12-08T06:54:26Z")
I didn’t have a burning ambition, but since I identified as a musician when I was young, I guess I wanted to be one when I grew up. I never expected to become a concert pianist, though, and was actively discouraged by my family from non-classical forms, so I didn’t really expect to live the dream. Given all that, I think that having hosted a jazz radio program and written concert and CD reviews for an online magazine was some compensation. I also sing [shapenote music](http://www.fasola.org) as a hobby. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/10 "2004-12-08T07:00:56Z")
An archaeologist, or the first woman president. I’m a librarian, which is more fun. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/11 "2004-12-08T07:10:20Z")
To the extent that I had an answer, I wanted to be the starting Quarterback for the New York Giants. I remember my father trying to describe how unlikely that was, but there’s no explaining probability to a nine year old. Hell, I’m still half convinced that I could do it with the right training program. ---
**Author:** ![Spongemom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Spongemom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spongemom)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/12 "2004-12-08T07:38:16Z")
I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been around animals, and I never lost that goal. Ever heard of PCDI? They’re on TV a lot. One of those college-by-mail things. They have a great veterinary course, without throwing in all those other on-campus crap classes that teach you everything you learned in gradeschool. Over half-way through the course, and averaging a 98%, I hate to toot my own horn, but I’m proud of that. ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/13 "2004-12-08T08:26:57Z")
In kindergarten, I wanted to dig up dinosaurs for a living. Then inspired by Peter Parker, I wanted to be a freelance photographer. Then a video game designer. I also once wished to become a record breaking running back for the NY Giants (the fact that I live in Malaysia and have never played American Football except on the PC was beside the point). Today, I help run the family business. But if the Giants call, I’ll drop everything in a jiffy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/14 "2004-12-08T09:20:14Z")
Either a writer or a teacher. I’m already working on the first (just got my first acceptance letter last week!), and I’ll be doing the second after I finish my Master’s and get high school certification. Though I’d like to teach college more than high school, but I need to take a few years off between grad school and Ph.D work. I’d also really like to own a bookstore someday, but that’s for when I retire. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/15 "2004-12-08T09:24:57Z")
I’m 51 and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/16 "2004-12-08T09:34:12Z")
I wanted to be a scientist, until I reached 4th form and realised that I couldn’t count. I and my older sister got the writing and language genes in the family, my younger brother {electrical engineer} and my younger sister {biochemist} got the science genes. I can still beat their arses at scrabble, though: mind you, I taught my sister how to do cryptic crosswords and skip stones, albeit not simultaneously. I have yet to teach my brother how to dress. ---
**Author:** ![BadBadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BadBadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBadger)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/17 "2004-12-08T11:48:42Z")
Like **Declan** I wanted to be a fighter pilot. The first time I went on a plane I puked my guts up from travel sickness… + I was past 6’ at 16 and that kindof put paid to that idea… Now, I want to retire, but seem to have 30 years to go. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/18 "2004-12-08T11:52:08Z")
I wanted (still do) to be a millionaire. Of course at the time, I had no idea how I was going to make my millions. But still, none the less, I wanted to be a millionaire. Also, captain of the Star Ship Enterprize. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/19 "2004-12-08T12:11:10Z")
I have always wanted to be a fiction writer since I was extremely young. I wrote my first story when I was four. Then I went to art school thinking that being an art professor would be a good idea. Unfortunately, that went by the wayside. I’m now a social worker that writes fiction and hasn’t been published yet. (_yet_ - um, does NaNoWriMo count??) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2004, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706/20 "2004-12-08T14:29:01Z")
A Career Gal with a Bachelorette Pad, like Sally Rogers, Ann Marie and Mary Richards. And so I am! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/278706.md?page=2)