What Did/Do You Want To Do?
Despite if you're already in your chosen field or not, list the job or jobs you've wanted to work either dreaming as a kid growing up or something you want to try as an adult. It doesn't matter if you can't actually do the job; this list is about defining dreams and documenting them somewhere. Feel free to tell why you wanted to do the job.
There doesn't even have to be a particular order to your list. Just go for it. If you want extra protection, you can post anonymously. I'll turn off IP tracking for a while and will edit the post when I turn tracking back on.
Back on. Interestingly enough, this didn't seem to matter. I like not only the responses that I got, but the people who gave them. I like when it's not just "the normal crowd" commenting in my journal. Thanks to everyone who participated!
- Novelist - Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to be an author, particularly of fiction. Growing up I read a lot of fiction because I didn't know any better. I thought I would be fairly easy to write novels because I had a knack for reading them and seeing the whole thing play out in my head.
I've tried my hand at writing a novel a few times. Each time it turns out to either be utter rubbish or I can't make the details believable to get the characters where I want them to be. - Author - Because I gave up on fiction, specifically now as I've gotten into politics I feel that reading novels aren't the best use of my time. We can argue this point incessantly; if I were a film producer, I would change my mind on this in a heartbeat, but I'm not and so I feel that if I'm going to read something, it should be educational. Even so, the desire to be a published author-whether that be in a periodical or a book-has never died. Unfortunately, whenever i sit down to write something for publication, I either feel that I have nothing to add to the conversation (i.e. I'm not expert enough to write intelligently on the subject) I draw a blank, or I'm overwhelmed by the amount of material I would need to put my thoughts together.
- Screenwritter - This is an extension of wanting to be a novelist insomuch as when I would read books, I could see them playing out on the movie screen in my head. But the same basic problems that I've had everywhere else come into play here too: I don't have a knack for coming up with workable, original content coupled with the organizational challenges associated with trying to keep such a project cohesive.
- Journalist - I've always wanted to be a reporter because I thought it would be cool to hobnob with those who were making news i.e. the "movers and the shakers" while at the same time not having to be one but still providing for myself. I'm sure that this ideal is highly fictionalized by Hollywood, but it is nice to dream about getting into exclusive events for free and then documenting them.
I've always felt that writing is a pretty simple task because it doesn't take that much work to collect your thoughts and jot them down. Of course, that is very much an over-simplification, but on the surface it's not that hard to do. And it's not like I can't write. I would say that on the whole my blog proves that I can write. And technically I did write for the school paper and got paid for it, so it wouldn't be wrong to call myself a "professional reporter," but I know i don't have the skills of people like SecretsNeverTold. This is partly where my question came from the other day, namely, if someone blogs on a community site like LJ or Xanga, is it a cop-out for real writing? I got one resounding answer: NO! It's practice for the "real thing." - Photographer - I've actually never really wanted to make a living taking still pictures, portraits, etc, but I want to include this in my list because it dovetails with journalism/blogging/filmmaker. Since this skill set can be applied in a lot of the fields that I've wanted to go in, it seems sensible to add this trade to the list.
- Sound Recording Engineer - Ibid. (That's for mrs-dragon)
- Page Layout - I'd like to think I'm artistically inclined, but I have very few ways to show that given my lack of talent, specifically since I'm not that good with my hands (carpentry, drawing, etc.). Interestingly enough though, if I have all of the necessary elements, I can do page layout-I was understudy for the The Exponent.
- Actor - I've always wanted to go into the performing arts as well-who doesn't want to be an actor or actress at some point in their life. Perhaps the world would be a different place had I chosen to follow this calling, but I'm pretty confident that the number of talent scouts that travel through the great town of Juanita in a decade is less than zero.
- Film Director - Who doesn't dream of directing either? The problem with directing is it's more than giving orders. It's a unique combination of being able to see the forest AND the trees simultaneously. Lots of logistics involved in this one. In a way, if you can successfully put together a fully-involved production either on the stage or on celluloid, you can do anything you put your mind to and succeed; viewed in a certain light, a successful director ought to be able to be a successful businessman.
- Programmer - Ever since I first knew what a computer was, both those things that sit on our desks as well as embedded systems, I've wanted to understand every detail of how and why the work as well as being able to manipulate them at my will. I even went to school for this and dropped out twice. Over the years I'e leered that I don't really have the endurance it takes to be a real programmer, Most of the training that I received I've nearly forgotten since I haven't written code in years. This is something that I'll likely play with on and off as the years go by, but I don't think I'm ever going to be the next Bill Gates.
I can say the same things about Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics though I never took classes in the first two subjects. - System Administrator - I used to hate SysAdmins, but now I think they are one of the most powerful people in a company because without them, companies would be back to pencil and paper. Furthermore, they hold all the keys to the kingdom as it were. I have no desire to be a Windows SysAdmin, but I do enjoy solving esoteric problems. One of these days, I hope I will have gained enough experience to full understand *nix.
- Pilot - Pilots are an interesting breed. They have a strong background in the sciences and put all of that math to good use every day. Pilots are a very exclusive clique and I want to be in it. Alas, I don't have the money for this hobby.
- Talk Radio Host - Ever since I first heard Rush Limbaugh-against my parents wishes-I've wanted to be on the radio where I could "write on the fly" expounding my ideas to whomever will listen. At once point I was considering going into podcasting, but as always, I have to do things on a grand scale and the money it would have cost to have the appropriate infrastructure was too high a barrier to entry.