# When I grow up I want to be a ... ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 2, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827 "2005-07-02T13:55:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EarthStone777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@EarthStone777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EarthStone777)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/1 "2005-07-02T13:55:27Z")
Inspired by the thread on earliest memories, I had to share this tidbit. When I was 5 and people would ask the inevitable question, “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” I would answer, “I want to be a garbage man.” Yes, a garbage man. My logic was that Yes, it was a dirty, smelly, disgusting job. But they only had to work one day a week. And I’d rather be home playing 6 days and working one day, than doing what my dad did and having to work 5 days a week and only playing 2 days. Made sense right? Everybody knew that trash pickup was Thursday. And every thursday like clockwork, the garbage truck came by to empty our barrel. So that meant they must have the rest of the week off. It seemed fair to me. Why else would anybody pick such a nasty job? I guess my parents got tired of thinking it was cute that I kept saying that, and when I was 6 my mom broke the news to me that they really had to work all 5 days a week. … Poor sods. I’ve pitied them ever since. Anyone else have a good “I want to be a …” story to share? ---
**Author:** ![harmless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/2acd7d/32.png) [@harmless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmless)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/2 "2005-07-02T14:17:22Z")
According to an aunt I wanted to be an ashtray. Apparently I would sit on the floor by the sofa holding one up for my dad and her while they smoked. Sounds more like I wanted to be an end table. :dubious: All I can say is I was _really, really_ young. :o ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/3 "2005-07-02T14:23:15Z")
One of my kids wanted to be an Indian. Couldn’t convince him otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/4 "2005-07-02T14:37:57Z")
I wanted to be a teenager. That’s the only real “I want to be a…” desire I expressed when I was young, apparently. I’ve apparently acheived all my goals in life and surpassed them. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/5 "2005-07-02T14:42:06Z")
As a child I wanted to be an inventor/scientist. Now my hero is Nikola Tesla, and I’m majoring in physics. Gotta love how some things work out. ---
**Author:** ![AveDementia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@AveDementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AveDementia)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/6 "2005-07-02T14:47:41Z")
I wanted to be a cat. I’m still not convinced it isn’t possible. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/7 "2005-07-02T18:05:40Z")
I wanted to be a medical examiner. I still do actually. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/8 "2005-07-02T20:02:53Z")
> [@EarthStone777](#): > > Yes, a garbage man. Hey, me too! Only it was because I wanted to be able to ride on the outside of the truck. I don’t think I was old enough to realize how stinky the truck was. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/9 "2005-07-02T20:11:18Z")
Mother tells me I wanted to be a stripper… O\_O I was about… four or five. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/10 "2005-07-02T20:12:31Z")
When I was 5, 6, 7…I wanted to be an architect. I would imagine cities and buildings in 3 dimensions and would build them out of whatever was handy. When I was 14 someone put a movie camera into my hands. That was it. I wanted to be a cameraman. That was ( as of tomorrow, which is my birthday 😃 ) 29 years ago and I have been earning money as a cameraman for 25 of those years. I adore it. I’m very lucky in this regard. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![dare\_devil007](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@dare\_devil007](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dare_devil007)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/11 "2005-07-02T23:31:53Z")
I’ve wanted to an actress for the longest time. In the meanwhile, I’ve also wanted to be a dancer, pediatrician, accountant (something I’m considering right now), and bounty hunter. Yes, really. For the last one, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/12 "2005-07-02T23:39:33Z")
I wanted to be a train driver. ---
**Author:** ![drewbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drewbert/32/15890_2.png) [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/13 "2005-07-03T00:00:41Z")
Mom tells me I wanted to be a “vacuum cleaner.” Do I win the prize for “most bizarre childhood ambition”? ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/14 "2005-07-03T00:24:08Z")
I wanted to be a lawyer and my best friend wanted to be a doctor. We were going to open up an office together and wear matching outfits, only she’s wear her doctor coat so people wouldn’t have us confused. Me being a chubby redhead and her a slim blonde you can see how people might mistake us for one another. Today she’s an A/P secretary and I’m a SAHM. My brother wanted to be an ice cream man. He’s now a high school history teacher. ---
**Author:** ![Mundo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mundo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundo)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/15 "2005-07-03T00:35:32Z")
I started off wanting to be a marine biologist. Then I wanted to be a chef, or a mechanical engineer. Now I’m 3/5 of the way through an engineering degree and I want to be something fun like an underwater adventure diver (what can I say, I’m taking a scuba class). I think I’m regressing. ---
**Author:** ![bitwise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@bitwise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bitwise)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/16 "2005-07-03T00:40:17Z")
[http://www.gecko9.com/whenigrowup.html](http://www.gecko9.com/whenigrowup.html) ---
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/17 "2005-07-03T01:20:11Z")
I posted in the memories thread EarthStone777 referred to, about being tossed about by a wave. And for the longest time, I wanted to be an oceanographer or a marine biologist. But I’m not. I got a telescope and wanted to be an astronomer. But I’m not. For some reason, my Mom used to say, “Don’t touch that dirty bird.” I don’t remember that we had an abundance of wild birds within range of my hands when I was growing up, but I still remember that mantra. So much for listening to Mom - I’m an ornithologist. ---
**Author:** ![ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/18 "2005-07-03T03:00:24Z")
When I was a child, I was going to be a ballerina. Now…have any of you ever seen a 158 pound ballerina? That’s what I thought. But oddly, I still find ballet very beautiful and still find myself envious of dancers. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/19 "2005-07-03T03:05:19Z")
I wanted to be a superhero, a screenwriter, a musician, or a forensic detective. I still want to be all of those things, or at least one of them. Somehow I got sidetracked, and now I’m not too thrilled with the directions my life and career have taken. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827/20 "2005-07-03T03:42:18Z")
I wanted to be an Arthur. Actually, I wanted to write books and be an **author** , but my Dad’s middle name was Arthur, so I told my teacher and my mother that I was going be an Arthur. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a/310827.md?page=2)