BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Deckman
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 11:24 PM

Don... "He had the gift of laughter and a sense that world was mad! ... EH? Bob

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 11:14 PM

Dear GUEST,

CLICK!

Discuss.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Don Firth
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 11:06 PM

When I was about six, I got totally hooked on the "Buck Rogers" comic strip. I couldn't wait for the next Sunday's funnies to see what was going to happened, so I grabbed pencil and paper and drew what I figured was going to happen. A few years later, I was drawing my own characters and doing my own stories. I had a fair-size collection of possibilities, including a masked and costumed crime-fighter ("Batman" influence) and a fighter pilot who practically won World War II single-handed (he bore an odd resemblance to Steve Canyon). When I was thirteen or fourteen, I could draw various aircraft such as the P-51 Mustang or the B-25 Mitchell right down to the last rivet. In my early teens, that was going to be it: I was going be another Milton Caniff, Hal Foster, or Alex Raymond and make my livelihood drawing comic strips.

Once my stories got a little more sophisticated, I learned the hard way to write up a synopsis of the story ahead of time, otherwise I could waste a lot of time, ink, and paper getting my hero into a pickle I couldn't get him out of. I wrote the stories up like a movie script: dialogue plus a description of the illustration. But soon I found that I was writing the stories way ahead and not getting back to do the strips themselves. By that time, I was in high school, and I took an English elective:   a creative writing class. The teacher liked my stuff and she was very encouraging.

In the meantime, I had taken up fencing (one Rafael Sabatini novel and one Errol Flynn movie too many), and in order to find more people to fence with, I got permission (over some faculty members' misgivings regarding safety) to teach an after-school intramural fencing class. Over a couple of years, I had several dozen pupils. Becoming a "fencing master" had a nice ring to it, but there were already a couple of good fencing teachers in Seattle, and they taught for free, because they were active in competition and they wanted to keep their amateur standing. Couldn't make a living at it.

I entered the University of Washington with the idea of writing Great Literature (and science fiction when nobody was looking).

Then I fell in with rampaging gangs of folk singers, including Sandy Paton, Walt Robertson, and Bob Nelson (Deckman). The next thing I knew, I was playing the guitar and learning songs. Some desperate televison producer from the local educational channel dragged me in front of a camera to do a series on folk music, and in the resulting local notoriety, I found myself singing in a coffeehouse and doing concerts—and strangely enough, getting paid for it. That sorta thing can hook a guy! The Great American Novel (or the Great Galactic Novel [if nobody was looking] would just have to wait until I got this folk singing aberration out of my system.

Since then, I've taken various "day jobs." I've worked as a production illustrator (draftsman) at Boeing, a radio announcer and news director, a telephone operator, and a technical writer (for the Bonneville Power Administration—so I've worked for the same company that Woody Guthrie worked for back in the Thirties or so). But I've kept singing off and on all this time—and I'm still doing it.

So it's not out of my system yet. But I am writing a lot these days.

I still draw and sketch a bit from time to time. The occasional irreverent cartoon.

Don Firth
(Still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. If, that is. . . .)

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 10:57 PM

started off in grade school thinking I'd be a 'scientist'....then narrowed that to astronomer....then found out it was 94.621% math, which I never was strong in. So, as a senior in high school, I was working in a grocery store, when one slow Sunday after blue laws were repealed, (allowing us to be open on Sunday), I picked up a copy of "The Age of Ideology", one of a series of paperbacks on the history of Philosophy....and I was hooked.

I entered college planning to teach Philosophy, but LIFE interfered and slowed my education until after 13 years and 130+ hrs of Philosophy courses and an incomplete thesis on A.N. Whitehead, I discovered that there was not much demand for Philosophy teachers. (Two of my thesis advisors never finished THEIR PhDs, and became a race driver and a real estate salesman)

I made a grand total of $4000 in Philosophy, as a graduate teaching asst. for 2 years.

Some of you may have noticed residual reminders, in this strange and wonderful forum, of those years when I was attempting to learn to think   ;>)

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 10:41 PM

An oceanographer. I joined Greenpeace instead, and went into freelance documentary work and writing as an environmental activist.

I actually got to work with the Cousteau crew once, which was sort of a dream come true. But I've since come to realize that working with these folks would be the pinnacle for someone like me.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 10:29 PM

Best stories I've heard here in the 3 'er 4 years I've been here....

Lovin' each post...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: jacqui.c
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 10:21 PM

I wanted to be a hairdresser and studied at college for a year and a half before contracting dermatitis and getting pregnant.

Three kids later I went to Teacher Training College, got my certificate but no job. Ended up working in an office as an injury claims negotiator, a job I loved.

Gave that up to hop the pond and marry Kendall!

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Deckman
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 10:12 PM

I grew up as the son of a master/magical carpenter and builder. He presented me with my first hammer when I was ten. I threw my hammer away when I was 23 ... I was tired of hammering.

I then wanted to be: a folksinger, a counsellor, a real estate salesman, a prostitute, a commercial fisherman, a logger, a casket maker, a bar keep, a park ranger, a radio announcer.

For the last 40 years years I've been trying to replicate my Father. I'm getting close! CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Rapparee
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:50 PM

Let's see. When I left 8th grade, the nuns asked us what we wanted to do. I told them that I wanted to be a policeman, even a detective.

Ten years later I worked as a Military Policeman and in the Army's CID -- the detective arm of the MPs.

When I was in high school I wanted to be a high school graduate, and maybe go to college.

I got both my wishes, even though the college part was interupted by my Rich Uncle Samuel calling my name.

When I got out of the Army, I wanted to be a college graduate and go to Library School. I did that; ran out of money, moved to Ohio from Illinois, and got a job in a small library as a Reference Librarian. Haven't looked back since.

Well, yeah, I finally did finish Library School, getting my Master's degree (MS) from CWRU. Since 1971 I've been working as a professional librarian, and I've been having a ball.

I mean, yeah, I've had lots of other things I've wanted to try -- assassin, stud, cowboy, secret agent, Lord Of The Universe, spaceman, theoretical physicist, mountain man, hero and so forth -- but this is pretty nice and a heckuva lot of fun. Of course, you never heard of a RICH librarian, but what the heck!

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:47 PM

That explains your bitter self-loathing, then.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:43 PM

I was going to be a teacher but discovered that I hate adolescents. So, I did something else for about thirty years until I decided I'd rather starve than do it anymore. I have been successfully starving for four years now.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:38 PM

As the son and gandson of engineers, I figured I'd be one, too, since I really liked engineering. In seventh grade, I decided I wanted to be a Catholic priest, so I went off to the minor seminary in ninth grade (age 14). I stayed for eight years and got a wonderful eduction, but I decided I wanted to be a husband and father. So, I've worked in the church as a volunteer and unpaid teacher all these years, but I was employed as a U.S. Government investigator, something I never dreamed of doing.
-Joe Offer, retired-

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:32 PM

I like your attitude, Ebbie. You might better have been born in a traditional society, such as existed long prior to the arrival of a certain value system we are all saddled with now.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: sixtieschick
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:29 PM

I wanted to be a black blues singer.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:26 PM

First I wanted to be a schoolteacher- and then I found out that they get paid. I lost my innocence then and there. Then I thought that when I got to be 17 (I don't know why that was the magic number) I would adopt LOTS of kids; I was never going to marry.

sigh

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: kendall
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:22 PM

As a teen ager, I wanted to be a forest ranger. Ended up being a Fish & Wildlife Conservation officer. Not too far off.

I told my father I wanted to be a truck driver, he said he wouldn't stand in my way.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:09 PM

I wanted to be a cartoonist, and a singer and guitarist. I ended up in Geology, and spent most of my life as Director of a Museum. I still fool around with cartooning, singing and guitar playing.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: jimmyt
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 09:03 PM

My original plan was to be a professional jazz trumpet player, but I got sidetracked. I am having more fun with music now than I ever did then.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: gnu
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:40 PM

Bobert said: "...so I changed majors...". What DID you do?

engineergnu

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: RangerSteve
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:39 PM

Like Duelingbazoukis, I also didn't grow up, at least not completely.
I wanted to be a policeman, fireman, sailor, park ranger, musician, cowboy and lighthouse keeper. I have done the first five, and for a while was a cop and fireman simultaneously. Life doesn't get much better than that. The job of cowboy was an impractical dream, and the lighthouse keeper bit came from a period during 8th grade when I grew extremely cynical and a job that involved little contact with the human race looked really good. I outgrew that phase by 11th grade.

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:35 PM

(sigh)

Ah, youth, glorious youth...had it, and had no idea what to do with it at the time.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Padre
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:31 PM

At 16 - I was going to be a doctor
At 21 - I was going to be a research biochemist
At 25 - I just wanted a job
At 60+ - Now I see what I was meant to do!

Padre

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Chris Green
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:29 PM

Grow up. Never managed it, I'm afraid!

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:27 PM

The chinchilla in the morris dancer video.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:16 PM

What was I gonna do?

I think I'm doin' it...

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: CarolC
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 08:06 PM

I wanted to be a zookeeper.

And I did that (be a zookeeper).

And I decided that, A. I hate zoos, B. I hate stinking like animal shit all of the time, and C. I hate zoos.

I also wanted to be a weaver (of cloth).

And I did that. I still like doing it, but I find now that I can't weave fast enough to do it for a living.

And I also wanted to own a little store or shop of some kind. I came very close to doing that at one point, but that one slipped through my fingers like sand through an hour glass ;-)

I still might do that one some day.

At some point, I decided I wanted to be a mother. And I did that. It was great, and now my son is all grown up and out on his own.

And later on, after all of that, I wanted to be a counselor (psychotherapeutic). I still wouldn't mind being able to do that, but I'm not in a position right now to get the necessary education and credentials.

These days, what I am doing suits me just fine, but I still might do some of that other stuff some day (or again). But not the zookeeper part.

Subject: RE: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: John Hardly
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 07:46 PM

All I ever really wanted to do was be in music. ...after my pro basketball phase anyway. I'm a potter.

Subject: BS: What you *were* going to do in life?....
From: Bobert
Date: 05 Apr 05 - 07:44 PM

Okay, this oughtta be a lot more fun than fussin' with CarolC over the 10 Commandments...

Ahhhh, when you were a a youngin' what were your carrer aspirations? Did you want to ba a fireman, nurse, lawyer 'er what?...

I wanted to be an achietect. My mom worked for one, Mr. Parlie, and I liked ro draw so I just figured I's be one myself. I actually made it thru the first semester in college before figuring out that archietects ain't nuthin' but engineeers & mathmaticans so I changed majors...

But how about the rest of you in Mudville?

Bobert