Writer's Block: If I had a hammer

[mtlawson]

Of all the things I could say about my childhood, this was not one of them.

I was never under any pressure to choose a certain career, but there was one time when I was discouraged from a particular career path.

I'd dreamed of being an astronaut from when I was little, but I knew that the road for that was tough.  I thought of joining the Air Force,

Comments

[sandy_williams]

This story makes me a little sad.

I am impressed, though, that you kept with one career-dream for so long. I remember wanting to be an astronaut for a while, too. I was REALLY young and once I realized I couldn't turn in a circle without getting dizzy (seriously, not one circle), I nixed that career plan. Maybe you can get into space on a civilian flight in our lifetime!

Off-topic: is your sidebar reading queue updated? You have some awesome book on this list you NEED to read.

:-)

[bogwitch64]

Made me a little sad, too. I could almost feel younger-Mike's heart break.

[mtlawson]

It wasn't that bad. I still considered West Point, but it wasn't a priority. And when I visited UD's campus and met with the professors there, something just clicked.

I remember walking out of Kennedy Union after eating a rather forgettable lunch and the change of class had just started. People flowed around and past me, music played, and the babble of voices just drew me in. I felt the attitude of the place --friendly, welcoming, comfortable-- and I felt I belonged.

[bogwitch64]

That's fabulous. A sense of belonging is, IMO, one of the greatest comforts we can receive in life.

I don't mean to imply that your grandfather crushed your dreams or that you made the wrong choice. Whatever reasons, good or bad, for the death of a long-held dream is sad.

My son dreamt of going to West Point for various reasons. Then he sustained an injury that, at 16, crushed any dreams he had along that line. I, personally, can't say I'm sorry he'll never be in the military, but to see him suffer not only the injury and the pain of the next three years, but watching him mourn the death of all he was, all he dreamed, was...gads it was heartbreaking.

Extreme example, yes, but realizing that your childhood dreams aren't going to happen is just...part of life, eh?

[tracy_d74]

That is kinda sad sad story, but it sounds like from conversations above you saw a different path and took it with relative ease. It is hard letting go of early dreams, though.

I liked your "He will tell you--heavily salted with cursewords--he sat on a bolder . . ." What an image. I suspect you have to become that way in order to function after seeing some of the things he probably saw.

[mtlawson]

My grandfather is one of those characters that if you read about him in a novel, you'd think he was definitely made up. He is a complex character, no doubt.

Here's a quick story to illustrate this:

During WW2, he and a bunch of others were promoted to Corporal. As he tells the story, the Captain was walking up and down the row of newly promoted Corporals, saying that he made them and he could break them.

"If that's the way you feel about it," my grandfather said, "you can shove it up your ass!"

Needless to say he was busted back down to Private.

[tracy_d74]

Wow! I suspect he got in the way of himself sometimes. :)

[mtlawson]

Yeah, you could say that. He's a mess of contradictions