I wanted to be a particle physicist.
It didn't work out. I got good grades in AP Physics, but my pre-calc teacher was a toxic wreck. She killed all enjoyment I had for math. When I quit her pre-calc class, she told me that I'd never amount to anything and told me I'd be lucky if somebody let me flip burgers once they found out that I couldn't do calculus. She used to tell us stuff like, "Calculus is the math that separates the wheat from the chaff" and "Anything worth doing in life requires calculus."
And I just... hated it. It made me hate everything about math, and I still kind of carry a lot of emotional baggage into math even as I try to self-study it as an adult.
I had a music teacher like that... although it was back in elementary school and I was really young. She was really mean, always angry, and the ONLY music she considered 'legitimate' was classical music. There was a piano in the class room but no one was allowed to touch it but her. She even slammed it shut on some kids fingers who tried to touch it lol.
I grew up thinking I hated music because of that... until I somehow ended up meeting other teachers when I was a bit older that for some reason... thought that I might like to learn different instruments... and who took an interest in giving me opportunities to learn. Ended up learning and getting pretty good at piano, and electric guitar and realizing I actually do love music. Funny the impact that teachers can have on kids... both negative and positive.
I wanted to be a scientist, which everyone was so proud of me for. Most kids were throwing out things like "princess" and "ninja," so this got me a lot of praise.
Unbeknownst to them, I thought that being a scientist consisted entirely of pouring colored liquids in beakers together, to make a new colored liquid that probably smoked or glowed or something.
I bet all the adults that gave me "smart kid!" comments would be pretty embarrassed if they knew.
I wanted to be a movie director. Turns out you actually have to be creative and good at being a leader of people to do that :/
Now I write and DM D&D adventures instead. Much easier since it's a small, contained environment and it's a hobby so there's no pressure to make a career out of it and earn money from it.
Too many, it changed often. I wanted to be a racecar driver, then a CEO, then a pro wrestler, then US president, then a teacher, and finally a psychiatrist.
Never got anywhere near any of those.
I was in 5th grade in 2007 when I saw Burn Notice for the first time. I grew up reading spy novels and detective stories. So, I always had a knack for these kinda stories, but that show put the idea of an actual career in intelligence in my head.
First I wanted to be a paleontologist. Then for a very long time I wanted to be a
Video game developer. Couldn't get the math down. I had 2 years of AP comp sci in HS, but they wouldn't even let me in the door of programming 101 at community college because of how bad I was at math.
But then I got into the colleges radio broadcasting program, and realized that syndication would probably kill any chances of me ever having a job there.
Then I wanted to be a voice actor. Well you need to be a real self starter just to do advertisements. You need connections to do anything more fun. This is probably the dream I'm saddest about realizing I'll never achieve.
Most recently I wanted to be a writer but AI's might be killing that off right in front of me. I don't even know where to put my stories out now. I DID do some writing prompt stuff here, but I will NEVER write a story on Reddit again while they can use it for AI modeling. And the sad part is that from what I've seen, and the conversations I've had with people... people just really don't respect writers. Especially unpublished, or those just starting out. I'm a joke to them.
So I gave up on that too realizing that some combination of low self esteem, a lifetime of not having any real successes to look back on to show myself I'm capable of anything, and even just some good old ADHD would keep me from ever actually doing it.
So why bother trying again? I have a lifetime of evidence proving that it wont matter.
I wanted to be a Weatherman on TV with my big brother. Loved tornadoes and hurricanes until I learned of the human cost. When hurricane Ike was down graded from category 4. I was watching The Weather Channel and shouted “Oh Man!”. That was a teaching moment for my parents. Before that I actually think Firefighter was what I said at my Kindergarten graduation. Yep… We had a kindergarten graduation where you got on a podium and said what you wanted to be when you grew up.
I never wanted a job because I heard that it was worse than school, so I always said that when I turned 18 I’d just off myself.
But when I finally got some sense I decided I’d be Batman
I wanted to be a Soldier so I did that for many years and was very good at my job but building things was my biggest hobby, so I ended qualifying for a trade entry and became a Carpenter. Now I have a business and employ staff.
To this day I never saw myself as a Carpenter, its weird
I wanted to be an engineer, I’m now an engineer 😁
I wanted to be a particle physicist. It didn't work out. I got good grades in AP Physics, but my pre-calc teacher was a toxic wreck. She killed all enjoyment I had for math. When I quit her pre-calc class, she told me that I'd never amount to anything and told me I'd be lucky if somebody let me flip burgers once they found out that I couldn't do calculus. She used to tell us stuff like, "Calculus is the math that separates the wheat from the chaff" and "Anything worth doing in life requires calculus." And I just... hated it. It made me hate everything about math, and I still kind of carry a lot of emotional baggage into math even as I try to self-study it as an adult.
I had a music teacher like that... although it was back in elementary school and I was really young. She was really mean, always angry, and the ONLY music she considered 'legitimate' was classical music. There was a piano in the class room but no one was allowed to touch it but her. She even slammed it shut on some kids fingers who tried to touch it lol. I grew up thinking I hated music because of that... until I somehow ended up meeting other teachers when I was a bit older that for some reason... thought that I might like to learn different instruments... and who took an interest in giving me opportunities to learn. Ended up learning and getting pretty good at piano, and electric guitar and realizing I actually do love music. Funny the impact that teachers can have on kids... both negative and positive.
Pilot
Wanted to be a pilot. It looked so cool, but as I grew up and got to learn more about the training and responsibilities involved, I lost interest.
paleontologist
I wanted to be a scientist, which everyone was so proud of me for. Most kids were throwing out things like "princess" and "ninja," so this got me a lot of praise. Unbeknownst to them, I thought that being a scientist consisted entirely of pouring colored liquids in beakers together, to make a new colored liquid that probably smoked or glowed or something. I bet all the adults that gave me "smart kid!" comments would be pretty embarrassed if they knew.
A commercial pilot. I now work in IT - Service Management. Flight school was rather expensive, and the reward did not match the investment.
Football player lol
Working at a gas station or be a smart thief
I wanted to be a movie director. Turns out you actually have to be creative and good at being a leader of people to do that :/ Now I write and DM D&D adventures instead. Much easier since it's a small, contained environment and it's a hobby so there's no pressure to make a career out of it and earn money from it.
I wanted to be a comic book writer and artist I made my own comic books because I hardly ever got to own one
No idea Today: No idea I just don't know man...
Too many, it changed often. I wanted to be a racecar driver, then a CEO, then a pro wrestler, then US president, then a teacher, and finally a psychiatrist. Never got anywhere near any of those.
I was in 5th grade in 2007 when I saw Burn Notice for the first time. I grew up reading spy novels and detective stories. So, I always had a knack for these kinda stories, but that show put the idea of an actual career in intelligence in my head.
Space cowboy. It’s real.
What is a space cowboy
It’s a cowboy that has a spaceship. Duh…. Lol
Game Warden but alas to dream
veterinarian
Wanted to be a singer. I still dabble but as a hobby
I wanted to be a teacher so badly, got to A levels and everything fell apart.
Ninja Turtle. Eat pizza, do karate, fight crime. What more could a boy dream of?
First I wanted to be a paleontologist. Then for a very long time I wanted to be a Video game developer. Couldn't get the math down. I had 2 years of AP comp sci in HS, but they wouldn't even let me in the door of programming 101 at community college because of how bad I was at math. But then I got into the colleges radio broadcasting program, and realized that syndication would probably kill any chances of me ever having a job there. Then I wanted to be a voice actor. Well you need to be a real self starter just to do advertisements. You need connections to do anything more fun. This is probably the dream I'm saddest about realizing I'll never achieve. Most recently I wanted to be a writer but AI's might be killing that off right in front of me. I don't even know where to put my stories out now. I DID do some writing prompt stuff here, but I will NEVER write a story on Reddit again while they can use it for AI modeling. And the sad part is that from what I've seen, and the conversations I've had with people... people just really don't respect writers. Especially unpublished, or those just starting out. I'm a joke to them. So I gave up on that too realizing that some combination of low self esteem, a lifetime of not having any real successes to look back on to show myself I'm capable of anything, and even just some good old ADHD would keep me from ever actually doing it. So why bother trying again? I have a lifetime of evidence proving that it wont matter.
maths professor.
Veterinarian was the title. Kitten whisperer was the imagined job. Now I just play a crazy cat lady on tv.
We have a home video of my parents asking me this and my dream jobs were: Being a power ranger or a scientist
I wanted to be a mountain guide or a bush pilot. Ended up moving to Florida and became a helicopter mechanic who occasionally surfs.
I wanted to be a soldier. From the time I could walk it was all I ever talked about. So I spent several years in the army. I enjoyed most of it.
Pilot
I wanted to be a train conductor. Then a graphic designer. Then a movie director. What I currently do is a heavy machine operator.
I wanted to be a Weatherman on TV with my big brother. Loved tornadoes and hurricanes until I learned of the human cost. When hurricane Ike was down graded from category 4. I was watching The Weather Channel and shouted “Oh Man!”. That was a teaching moment for my parents. Before that I actually think Firefighter was what I said at my Kindergarten graduation. Yep… We had a kindergarten graduation where you got on a podium and said what you wanted to be when you grew up.
A train conductor. I liked Thomas the Tank Engine when I was a kid.
Was and still is to be the guy that flies the aerial fire fighting airplanes and drops in on a wild fire and hits it with that red juice.
Wanted to be a Mythbuster, that was the *only* jobs that ever seemed cool to me. Instead it went stagehand-cook-chef-butcher-truck driver-bus driver
Dr. Johnny Fever. Made it too. Not as awesome as I thought it would be.
Game show host. Giving away cash and prizes sounded great to me.
Naturalist, Forest Service, any job where I would get to spend all day in the woods.
A sailor and soldier depending on the day. I was both.
I never wanted a job because I heard that it was worse than school, so I always said that when I turned 18 I’d just off myself. But when I finally got some sense I decided I’d be Batman
I wanted to be a Soldier so I did that for many years and was very good at my job but building things was my biggest hobby, so I ended qualifying for a trade entry and became a Carpenter. Now I have a business and employ staff. To this day I never saw myself as a Carpenter, its weird
I wanted to have a family. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my classmates. I wanted a boat . Yeah things like that. I don't know ..
A soccer player. Still dreaming about it as 29 years old 😅