When I Grow Up

Iʻm sure that all of you have at one point in your lives declared, "When I grow up, Iʻm going to be a ..."  I mean, after all, this is the quintessential Rights of Passage for all human beings. This is what separates us from the rest of the animals in our kingdom; the ability to Plan Ahead.


For most, this declaration first occurs around the age of 5. We enter kindergarten, look around, see the rest of the pack, and decide what will make Us better than Them. Fireman, cheerleader, chef, action hero, or doctor.  As we progress through life, our future career choices become more sophisticated with loftier aspirations. 


Around High School, we now consider professional ball player, Hollywood actor or singer, or even perhaps an independently-wealthy world traveler. 


College hones our choices, making us rely on what can be readily financed and we choose nuclear physicist, teacher, lawyer, computer programmer, or librarian. For those that did not choose college the reality of life hits a little sooner and sometimes choices are made for us; mechanic, retail clerk, domestic services, etc. 


So, what do I want to be when I grow up? Ballerina, musician, architect, artist, wife, mother, housecleaner, project manager, environmentalist, inventor, writer, philanthropist. The list keeps on going...


In the end, I think what I want most to be is to be remembered.