by Christine Bougie | January 8th, 2010
Here I am, 12 yrs old. Probably playing some Led Zeppelin.
Last weekend, while out for brunch with some friends, the question was raised:
“what did you want to be when you grew up?”
Two people wanted to be marine biologists, but other than that everyone turned out to be doing exactly what they had in mind as a kid. Myself included.
how I survived high school
A few days ago I bumped into an old high school friend. We walked along Bloor street for a few minutes, catching up and reminiscing about the guitar class we took together in 10th grade. I think it was one of my first “electives.”
It was an easy credit for us, since we both knew how to play already. Our teacher recognized this, so he let us sit in a room by ourselves during the class and just play. Actually, there were three of us. The third was this guy.
To be able to spend that hour (I can’t really remember how long classes were…) doing what I LOVED…during school time…well, it felt like I was skipping class or something.
Gradually, I shifted all of my studies to the arts, taking every possible art and music class that was available. By the end of my schooling, I was only taking music classes.
When my students complain about high school, I tell them it only gets better. I tell them “next year you get to choose more of the classes you want, and the year after that even more. Eventually, you’ll be taking all the classes you love.”
And that’s really how you get to be what you want to be when you grow up, isn’t it? By slowly filling your life with the work you love?
So what did you want to be when you grew up?
Are you doing it now? Are you sort of doing it now, when you really think about it?
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I wanted to be an actor. and a musician. and your boyfriend.
great thoughts for a Friday morning. i wanted to be a teacher when i grew up, but it was mostly because that’s what the people around me were. i never thought about really examining what i WANTED for myself unti very recently, so now i’m building my own “when i grow up” around me. it’s incredibly fun to look at my life with fresh eyes, figure out ways to add in pieces i’ve figured out i love and want, and to cull those bits that aren’t me after all!
@ali – check, check, and check
@robyn – that’s very inspiring. from the looks of your website you’ve figured out what you love. (awesome website, by the way)
I wanted to be a teacher, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 4 years
I wanted to be a Dentist in elementary school, spent 23 years in the printing business but hated it. I wanted to be in show business maybe be a rock Drummer, NOW, I’m a Stagehand in Toronto! This is the best Job for me , I get paid to setup shows, work with amazing musicians actors and dancers. I think I can still be a Roadie!! Would love to get on a big tour someday, maybe when Jimmy Page finds a singer.