Monday, January 28, 2013

Monday Listicles - My Forgotten Dreams

Let's just hop on into our Monday Listicles topic this week, shall we?

10 9 Things I Thought as a Child I Would Do/Be:
(I worked all 14 brain cells that the children have let me keep.  I can only come up with nine.)

1.  For sure and for certain, I was going to be a Publisher's Clearinghouse Million Dollar Sweepstakes winner.  They were going to show up at my door with the balloons and the microphone in my face and the big check that would change my life.  I pictured myself yelling and screaming and making a right scene, so they would show it on TV every year.  There was no purchase necessary, so I filled out every entry form that came into our house.  Update:  Yeah, it didn't happen.  I'm guessing my mom never actually mailed my entry forms.  Otherwise, I'd be sitting in my mansion right next to those Beverly Hillbillies right about now.

2. I was going to run in the Olympics. When I was a kid, we played tag at recess all the time. Even the boys couldn't catch me. In gym class, we would have races, and only one boy could beat me.   In 6th grade, we had to draw a picture of what we were going to be when we grew up. I drew a picture of myself running for the United StatesOnce in 7th grade I was finally old enough to run on a track team.  Turns out, I was pretty fast.  Update: I was fast enough to run on a scholarship in college. I was not even close to fast enough to run in the Olympics.

3.  I was going to work with Jacques Cousteau.  I have always been fascinated by sea creatures.  They are just beautiful and so mysterious to me.  I was going to get a job working with the king of all marine biologists in order to see these animals up close and personal.  In my mind, the fact that I was scared of sharks even in the 12 foot deep end of a pool and had no intentions of actually scuba diving ever in my life did not preclude me from getting said job.  Update:  Unfortunately, dear Jacques passed away before I could realize my dream.  On our honeymoon in 1994 (three years before Jacques died) I tried my hand at snorkeling.  Let's just say that if Jacques could have seen me, he would have been very disappointed in his new hire.

4.  I was also going to be a famous artist.  Do you remember the art contest forms that would come in the mail or be stuffed in magazines?  You would have to draw a picture of a turtle usually, and send it in for serious official artists to critique.  I totally drew my turtle and mailed it in.  Several weeks (or months.  I don't know exactly.) later, I got word.  I HAD POTENTIAL!!!  I was invited to participate in some through-the-mail drawing lessons!  I was on the verge of hitting it big.  Until, once again, my parents stomped on my dream.  They informed me that the lessons were a scam, and that I most certainly was not going to pay for drawing lessons through the mail.  Update:  I never took drawing lessons.  Turns out, I didn't need to.  I draw quite well without them, and have talent enough to draw anything to a degree that a small child can at least recognize what I am trying to draw.

4.  From the time I was in 2nd grade I wanted to be a teacher.  It never varied.  I could do lots of things on the side, but leading a classroom full of kids was where I wanted to be.  Update:  It is the one thing I actually accomplished.  And I love it.

5.  I was going to be Jewish.  Or at least the best Catholic fake Jew I could be.  Our neighbors were Jewish, and I spent a whole lot of time babysitting their children.  I frequently spent time at their house even when I wasn't babysitting, as the mom was just a fun, interesting lady.   She taught me Hebrew, she let me participate in their Jewish traditions, she took me to the local Jewish Community Center.  Plus, they always had Jello Fudgepops in the freezer.  I loved those things.  If it meant being Jewish to have them, by golly I was going to be Jewish. Update:  I'm not Jewish.

6.  I always wanted to have a whole mess of kids, but never did I want to give birth.  I told everyone that there were plenty of kids in this world who needed a home, and I would give it to them.  12 of them in fact.  No need for me to go through the pain of childbirth if I didn't have to.  Update:  Gave birth six times.  Hubby doesn't agree on my idea of birthing six and adopting six.  The birthed six have about done him in.

7.  I must have wanted to be an old lady.  I did old lady things way before my time.  At the age of 12 or so I took a Jazzercise class with a whole room full of old women.  I took the sign language class at the library, and I was the only person there under the age of 40.  I took a basket weaving class for crying out loud.  I don't know if the class took place in an actual nursing home, but I was most certainly the only one in the class without grey hair and wrinkled hands.  Update:   I have finally reached my goal.  I am old.

8.  I was going to be a computer programmer.  When I was in 7th grade, our school got its first computer, and it was put in my classroom.  They changed out the wood door to the room and replaced it with a metal security door.  That's how big of a deal that computer was at the time.  I gave up having friends and became the computer geek on the spot.  I wrote all sorts of programs and saved them to my floppy disk.  I could make the screen go from green to blue to yellow to a picture of an American flag.  Totally impressive stuff.  I loved working with that computer, and thought for sure it was going to be a big part of my life.  In high school, I was still hopeful.  I took a computer class and wrote more programs.  I even made my own phone book of sorts.  Can we say "big leagues"?  Update:  I am the least computer savvy person that you know.  Not that long ago, I completely disgusted my sister when she said, "I'll Google it." and I said, "What's a google?" 

9.  I was going to be pet-free for my entire life.  We had a whole string of pets when I was a kid.  Countless dogs, a cat, gerbils, a bird, even a duck for a while.  Through it all, I learned that I don't like animals.  Especially dogs.  They scared the pants off me.  I even thought about telling my future children that I was allergic to animals in order to not have to fight that battle.  Update:  I fell in love with a house that happened to come with chickens.  I now have lots of animals.  Including two dogs.  I don't hate them.  Except when they eat my chickens or tear up our car.  At those times, I don't really like them all that much.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Have a lovely day!

33 comments:

  1. LOL, I love this! I love reading the stories behind the choices.

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    1. Thanks! I can't make a list without an explanation. Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. I love your take on the list. I remember reading the real Cheaper by the Dozen book (nothing like the movie) and thinking twelve kids sounded like fun. #8 is pretty awesome too. Great list. Erin

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    1. 12 kids would be fun! Too bad my husband isn't on board. Thanks!

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  3. That Google story made me laugh out loud.

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    1. I'm glad you got some amusement out of my ignorance. :)

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  4. You had GOOD and BIG plans! I wanted to be the first woman president. What was I thinking?

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    1. I was a dreamer. There's still time if you want to pursue that career path. :)

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  5. Another awesome list Christine! I just realized you have the same name as my kindergarten gnome. HAHA!!! No offence; it's a perfectly nice name (it's my middle name, actually).

    I was surprised not to see "writer" on the list, because you have some serious talent. No matter what you're writing about, you make it so interesting I'm glued to every word.

    Sometimes I leave your blog to the end of my reading list because I often go wandering off in your archives for long periods of time, and everyone else on the linky gets neglected. Love it!

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    1. That is why teachers have such a hard time naming their children! Too many names with unpleasant memories.

      And this has to be one of the best comments ever written. Thank you so much. I'm glad you enjoy reading. Coming from you, my dear blunt one, that means alot. :)

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  6. Love your list. Congrats on that track scholarship. I ran track in middle and high school. I though I would try out for fun when I went to college. All you scholarship people looked at me like I was crazy. Practice kicked my butt. I wasn't that fast. I lasted two days. Congrats on #4. My son is in 2nd grade and it is EVIDENT that she does not like her job (anymore) she's got to be close to retirement.

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    1. Thank you! The only reason anyone looked at you like you were crazy is because they were thinking, "Why in the world would you put yourself through this for free?!?!"

      We've had the same problem every once in a while. It makes me sad for everyone, normally because I really like the teachers personally. I wish my kids could have had them when they were younger and more enthusiastic in their jobs. I know there are always other things keeping them in the classroom.

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    2. #2. Don't me so modest. Tell them you were actually the Ohio State Champion in the 100 meter dash in 1989. Should I post the photo?

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  7. I wanted to win the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes too! I filled out all the forms and waited for Ed to knock on my door. Never happened, just got these stupid magazines in the mail or something like that. Nice job on the scholarship!

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    1. I also fantasized about going on Star Search to confront dear Ed personally. And thanks.

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  8. I love your number 5. How funny. And yes, who didn't fantasize that the Publisher Clearinghouse people would knock on their door.

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    1. Thank you. I may not have been the only one fantasizing, but no one filled out more entries than me! I'm still in shock that I didn't win.

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  9. You go Flo Jo!!!! I'll bet you can kick some butt at Pictionary.

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    1. Ha! I didn't have near the fashion sense. Or the nails. :)

      As for Pictionary, it all depends on whether my partners have been drinking or not.

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  10. I had the big idea of majoring in Computer Science in college knowing full well my brain does not work that way. I barely passed the intro. class and had to change my major.

    Number five cracked me up. Jell-o pudding pops = Jewish! :D

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    1. You got farther than I did. Not one computer class for me in college.

      I am not kidding. They were the only people I knew who had Jello pudding pops, and they were the only Jewish family I knew. The two naturally went together.

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  11. Wow...I must have been Jewish as a child and didn't even know it! :)I love you!

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  12. I'm jealous of your chickens! All of those lovely, fresh eggs! Store bought eggs just can't compare. Great list!

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    1. Fresh eggs are wonderful. Don't be jealous in the winter, though. Egg production drops to next to nothing in the winter. Even I have to buy eggs in the winter.

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  13. Oh great great list!!! But 12 kids! You're amazing just having 6!!! And I love that your # 1 is winning the publishers clearing house!

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    1. Thank you. And a big win would have been the best!

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  14. You crack me up every single time! Number 5 had me LMAO...I actually wanted to "be Italian" (like our neighbours) when I was a kid. Update: I'm not Italian. :D

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  15. I can so identify with #4!! I totally did that too! And I, like you, was never allowed to participate because it required sending money in the mail!! I was so disappointed because I had potential!!!! :)

    Kate

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    1. Blasted parents squelching our wonderful potential!

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  16. #3 if I can't see my feet I won't swim
    #5 oh my word i just laughed out loud at the update "I am not jewish" that was FUNNY!!! #6 AND I wanted 12 kids too!!! I swear we are friends separated at birth.
    #7 my mom says I was an old lady at 2...
    I just wanted to be a stay at home mom. One spirit week we dressed as career day I wanted to dress as a stay at home mom... I am! of course I wanted to be a stylish cute stay at home mom, and right now I am sitting in work out shorts {that I do not wear to work out in} and a tee shirt with my almost long enough for a pony tail hair pulled into a pony tail... so I achieved only part of my dream...
    j

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Thank you for taking the time to tell me what you're thinking!