36 Things I Want To Be When I Grow Up
When we’re kids, everyone asks us what we want to be when we grow up. They ask this as if we can have only one answer to the question, like we can’t change our minds.
I don’t think we should ask children, “What do you want to be?” That puts a lot of pressure to have the right answer before their brain is even done being formed.
Instead, what if we asked them, “What do you want to try first?” That’s right- Try, fail, dive in, love it, hate it. Soak up the experiences and keep following what feels right when you have that experience getting your hands dirty in all these different worlds. Try it all.
Anyway, here’s how I’d answer the question today with all the things I want to be when I grow up:
In another life, I’m a carpenter who takes pride in working with my hands all day.
In another life, I’m an architect who gets satisfaction from drawing straight lines.
In another life, I’m on a construction crew, envisioning the skyscraper I’ll be helping to create.
In another life, I’m the window cleaner repelling down the sides of that building.
In another life, I build bridges and create connections where there was none.
In another life, I climb telephone poles to fix the tangled phone lines people need to stay in touch.
In another life, I’m a therapist and sometimes forget who is helping who.
In another life, I’m a mathematician and get a rush from finding the right numbers.
In another life, I'm a lawyer; I always know the right questions to ask.
In another life, I deliver mail for the post office so I can talk to myself all day.
In another life, I'm a veterinarian or librarian because I didn't know I’m allowed to change my mind from when I was a kid.
In another life, I’m an astronaut, convinced the answer is somewhere out there.
In another life, I’m a monk, convinced the answer is somewhere in here.
In another life, I’m a chess master; I’m always thinking ten steps ahead.
In another life, I’m a nomad traveling the world, stepping into every ocean, and telling stories.
In another life, I decide to live a simple life in the woods like Thoreau.
In another life, I'm in jail for some sort of resistance movement, and I’m proud of it.
In another life, I work at Panera until I retire, content with that being more than enough for me.
In another life, I’m a baker working the overnight shift.
In another life, I write the punchy paragraph on the Vitamin Water labels. Sometimes I stalk the aisle at the grocery store to see people smile when they read it.
In another life, I read books to children and sometimes think I have more fun than they do.
In another life, I advocate for the troubled youths that everyone forgets are just scared and alone.
In another life, I work with little kids who have seen more than kids should ever see.
In another life, I’m a foster parent and show love to those who don’t know what love is.
In another life, I’m an aunt and it’s my favorite job ever.
In another life, I wait to have kids until I’m 40 because I never figured out what’s the rush.
In another life, I’m a gymnast and my dream is to make it to the Olympics.
In another life, I win the Silver Medal and I’m happy because I like silver more than gold anyway.
In another life, I’m a personal trainer and believe in people until they believe in themselves.
In another life, I'm an elite athlete who competes at the CrossFit Games.
In another life, I’m an acrobat with Cirque du Soleil and do handstands and backflips all day.
In another life, I’m a musician and never tire of hearing people sing my songs.
In another life, I’m a busker, traveling the world by playing drums on the streets.
In another life, I’m a poet; I know how to use the right words in the right combinations.
In another life, I write a book and some people put it on their lists.
In another life, I sit on planes to go talk to people who want to hear what I have to say.
In another life, I go down in history.
In another life.
Or who knows? Maybe even this one.