# What did you want to be when you grew up? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179 "2004-12-22T17:03:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/1 "2004-12-22T17:03:02Z")
I wanted to be a pirate. Still do. I’m a Systems Administrator instead. :sigh: ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/2 "2004-12-22T17:43:16Z")
A doctor. Either that or Superman. QtM, MD Subspecialty in Kryptonian diseases ---
**Author:** ![RunSilent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RunSilent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RunSilent)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/3 "2004-12-22T18:20:33Z")
Major League Baseball Player… ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/4 "2004-12-22T18:24:54Z")
Fireman, Policeman, Postman, Computer Programmer. I am 25, qualified (but not employed as) a programmer. I’d still like to be a policeman. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/5 "2004-12-22T18:29:51Z")
I wanted to be a rock star/model. I was willing to fall back on being a lawyer though. Now I sing karaoke on Wednesday nights and argue with my co-workers on a regular basis. Dreams really CAN come true! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/6 "2004-12-22T18:42:42Z")
I wanted to be Jacques Cousteau. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/7 "2004-12-22T18:46:02Z")
I wanted to be a scientist. As I imagined it, I would have been mixing chemicals and watching them bubble and change color, and then I’d make medicines and stuff from them. Also, formulas to give me super-powers. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/8 "2004-12-22T18:52:24Z")
Science fiction author. And I am. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/9 "2004-12-22T19:17:36Z")
I wanted to be a scuba diver when I was a kid. When I was a sophmore in high school I got certified, then I started thinking of a career as a commercial deep sea diver. When I graduated in 1981, I went to the Florida Institute of Technology in beautiful Jensen Beach Florida and studied underwater technology. Then Dad got drunk and got killed driving south in the north bound lane of A1A and I got side-tracked. Maybe when I become a civil engineer I can inspect a bridge. (Hope springs eternal…) **Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor** : Philippe Cousteau visited FIT when I was there and I shook his hand. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/10 "2004-12-22T19:35:21Z")
A doctor. Either that or Superman. QtM, MD Subspecialty in Kryptonian diseases ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/11 "2004-12-22T19:42:13Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > A doctor. Either that or Superman. > > QtM, MD > Subspecialty in Kryptonian diseases :dubious: Memory problems **Qadgop**? ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/12 "2004-12-22T19:42:53Z")
Rich. Still working on that one. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/13 "2004-12-22T20:09:03Z")
Old. Very old. And I’m well on my way toward achieving that goal. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/14 "2004-12-22T20:13:06Z")
Taller. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/15 "2004-12-22T20:13:52Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > :dubious: > > Memory problems **Qadgop**? One career goal or the other, **Lobsang**. I recognized the latter might not be doable, so had a “Plan B”. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/16 "2004-12-22T20:15:19Z")
Guess it’s time to dust off that list again… I most wanted to be an artist. Or an astronaut. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/17 "2004-12-22T20:19:23Z")
Radio announcer. Musician. Now I do both! Deja vu! We did this thread last week. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/18 "2004-12-22T20:27:59Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > One career goal or the other, **Lobsang**. I recognized the latter might not be doable, so had a “Plan B”. No, I was commenting on the fact that post #2 and post #10 by you are both identical. Anyone else notice this??? Or are the hamsters in my cache a bit slow today? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/19 "2004-12-22T20:42:31Z")
First, a policeman. Then, a video-game creator. What? ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179/20 "2004-12-23T00:40:34Z")
A librarian and Olympic gymnast. Then I met Bill Freehan in Detroit, and I wanted to be catcher for the Tigers. Too bad girls back then weren’t supposed to like “boy” sports. I played softball, but it just wasn’t the same… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-did-you-want-to-be-when-you-grew-up/281179.md?page=2)