What do you want to be when you grow-up?

Find your Passion- What are you good at? Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit ignite a fire within you, to leave this world better than you found it. -Wilfred Peterson

Well, at 8 I wanted to be a teacher, then at 11 I wanted to be a P.E. teacher. Six years later I thought I’d show the world I could be a Navy Pilot. Yep, sure did. Living in a city that trained Navy Pilots, it seemed logical. However, I didn’t want to cut my hair. I wasn’t afraid of the physical side of training (that much…just don’t make me run too much). But the shaved heads scared me. Yikes! And it didn’t matter if you were male or female…..equal rights and equal opportunity employment. But being the practical gal that I am, and knowing how much i hated Physics, even though I loved math….I had to reconsider. Fell into my profession since the counselor’s at my University seemed to know where to steer the “undeclared”….so off I went to study biology, microbiology, botany, chemistry, bio-chemisty and medical technology. It’s been a good profession. I’ve been able to work anywhere I’ve lived, full or part-time/ half-days or full-days. But was this my passion? Ummmmmm……I wanted to help people, and stay healthy (hence medicine), but CSI- work (non-field) can get a little mundane.

So, armed with all my little mini-ideas of professions. I asked my DD who has one year left in High School. What do you want to study? What are you interested in? At first the only answers were 3 words: “I don’t know”….”I don’t care”….followed by her quick exit from the room!!!! You see she’s young, she has no clue what’s out there, she doesn’ t know what she doesn’t know. But, I’m thinking “throw me a bone, here!" Please! Anything. I see my role with her as a supplier of information. If she said she was interested in veterinary school, well then I’d be feeding her all kinds of articles about dogs/cats/ cows! Heck, I’d even be planning the pictures I’d make to put on the walls of her clinic! I’d be so excited! But…this isn’t about me.

As hard as I’ve been on her over this issue, I think I’ve figured it out. She doesn’t want to make the wrong choice, so she’s not making any choice. Now, you’d think I’d know how to treat a pre-college student concerning their future since she has an older brother. But as easy as he made the path for me, he made it twice as hard for her. He knew at 5 what he wanted to be. I thought it was me that helped him figure it out way back when! But….this isn’t about me.

So, now….I know as she gains experience and sees the real world and talks to real people about real work, and listens to herself…..listens to herself….listens to herself!!! She’ll figure it out.

This drawing is dedicated to her. Cuz it’s stuff that’s worked for me over the years. Wait, it’s not about me….but these are general truths so it’s all-inclusive.

Today- I’d probably answer that question as Textile Artist or……

What about you? What do you want to be?