# What's your childhood dream? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 14, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223 "2013-01-14T21:21:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/1 "2013-01-14T21:21:30Z")
I recently read about Randy Pausch’s [Last Lecture.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Really_Achieving_Your_Childhood_Dreams) What’s your childhood dream, and why can’t you achieve it? My childhood dream was to be a professional athlete. I was probably good enough athletically for baseball, and good enough to coach football. What’s holding me back? For baseball, it was smoking. I started when I was 15. For coaching, nothing really except the opportunity. How about you? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/2 "2013-01-14T21:27:40Z")
Be a professional dancer. No money in it, a very stressful life, and it’s kind of dated by definition. I mean, I don’t think I’ll be able to dance when I’m fifty like I could when I was twenty. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/3 "2013-01-14T21:29:19Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Be a professional dancer. > > No money in it, a very stressful life, and it’s kind of dated by definition. I mean, I don’t think I’ll be able to dance when I’m fifty like I could when I was twenty. > **[Gates McFadden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gates_McFadden)** > > Cheryl Gates McFadden (born March 2, 1949) is an American actress and choreographer. She is usually credited as Cheryl McFadden when working as a choreographer and Gates McFadden when working as an actress. She played Dr. Beverly Crusher in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, its four subsequent films, the sequel series Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Prodigy. > McFadden was born in Akron, Ohio, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Silver Lake. She graduated high school from Old... ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/4 "2013-01-14T21:30:32Z")
I wanted to be an archeologist. Then I found out it doesn’t really _pay_. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/5 "2013-01-14T21:30:49Z")
She is a dancer, or are you saying I could be an actress? ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/6 "2013-01-14T21:41:13Z")
> [@campp](#): > > I wanted to be an archeologist. > > Then I found out it doesn’t really _pay_. > [@Anaamika](#): > > She is a dancer, or are you saying I could be an actress? I’m trying to find out if “desire to achieve their dreams” equals “actually achieving their dreams.” ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/7 "2013-01-14T21:42:54Z")
I wanted to be a writer. I wrote most of a novel when I was in the sixth grade, but the project sort of petered out when I didn’t know how to end it. I cranked out loads of short stories and poems too. Fortunately most of them have not survived (and I’ll exterminate the rest someday when we are going through Grandma’s possessions). I guess I just don’t have anything to say. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/8 "2013-01-14T21:43:44Z")
Between the ages of 9 and 12, there was nothing I wanted more than a go cart. I’m now 45. I still want a go cart. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/9 "2013-01-14T21:44:34Z")
I wanted to be a clinical psychologist. Instead, I married one. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/10 "2013-01-14T21:52:59Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I wanted to be a writer. I wrote most of a novel when I was in the sixth grade, but the project sort of petered out when I didn’t know how to end it. I cranked out loads of short stories and poems too. Fortunately most of them have not survived (and I’ll exterminate the rest someday when we are going through Grandma’s possessions). > > I guess I just don’t have anything to say. Mmm. I write a lot. I am a fairly good writer. I don’t say this to flatter myself; I’ve had outside, neutral party commentary on how well I write. My problem is I love fiction and I suck at writing fiction. I think I could write creative non-fiction, or travelogues, but it’s not easy to get into the world of writing. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/11 "2013-01-14T21:55:15Z")
Yeah, my dream now is to be a reader. Success! ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/12 "2013-01-14T22:13:55Z")
I always wanted to be an Olympic athlete. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen unless watching porn becomes an Olympic sport. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/13 "2013-01-14T22:23:35Z")
Walking on the moon. Had I gone the NASA route it wouldn’t have/be happening. I suppose if I had gone the Bill Gates route I MIGHT have been able to fund my own personal trip. Seriously, I look up at the moon almost every clear night with both a sense of awe and “gawd damnitness”. My parents tell me my first word was moon. Lucky assed Apollo bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/14 "2013-01-14T22:29:04Z")
I wanted to be a paleontologist. Before I really understood that there weren’t tons of bones to find and they don’t make much money. We grew up poor and one thing I knew from a very young age was that I wouldn’t be poor when I grew up. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/15 "2013-01-14T22:31:41Z")
Dream: I wanted to be an actor. Excuse: I need to pay my rent and feed my children regularly. Like, several times a day! Can you believe it? Greedy little beggars. But I think I’m going to start trying to do some local community based part time non-Equity kind of stuff. 'Cause why the hell not? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/16 "2013-01-14T22:32:38Z")
I wanted to be a war correspondent. I had this old 35mm camera and a vest with a lot of pockets and I’d run around playing correspondent. Now I’m a foreign aid worker who specializes in conflict zones and probably drink more than is a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/17 "2013-01-14T23:22:19Z")
I wanted to be a ballerina. But while I love to watch ballet actual ballet lessons were so boring I begged my mom to let stop. ---
**Author:** ![SweetiePotato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@SweetiePotato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetiePotato)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/18 "2013-01-14T23:48:57Z")
Dream: be a writer Outcome: I’m starting to realize that, once you gain enough free time to write, your life becomes less interesting. Sitting in front of a computer for hours is probably the least stimulating activity imaginable. Also, managing your own work schedule is no piece of cake. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/19 "2013-01-15T01:14:01Z")
There was some joke that a stand up comedian told many years ago. “It’s a good thing that not everybody got to live their childhood dream. Imagine a world with nothing but firemen, cowboys, nurses, and ballerinas.” ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2013, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223/20 "2013-01-15T02:03:00Z")
I had a lot of them … astronaut, definitely. Sci-fi writer. Marine biologist. Astronomer. Computer programmer (those are just the pre-teen dreams). Didn’t have (and still haven’t found) the focus to pursue those that are still achievable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-childhood-dream/647223.md?page=2)