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Sun, Apr 20 2008

What I want to be…

This entry was chosen as one of the best for the Business Channel “Take Your Sons and Daughters To Work Day” contest.

Your comments will count as votes – the most commented post between now and April 30 wins! The commenter wins and the blogger wins. So comment away!

What do you want to be? What do your kids want to be? How do childhood experiences affect your career?

When I was six, I wanted to be a nurse like my redheaded Aunt Alice (and my gramma, but gramma never told us she was a nurse). I held on to that dream until the day I cut my foot on a piece of glass and nearly passed out from the minute amount of blood.

The next dream was a rodeo star. I had this pony and she was gonna take me places. She did. One way. Because she and her colt were not weaned, it was impossible for someone my size and demeanor to convince her to ride away from him. So I compromised – I led her away from the barn and rode like the wind….right back to the barn. So much for the rodeo.

When I got my organ in fourth grade, I was going to be a rock star. My sister had the tambourine and my brother was learning the trumpet. Even though we didn’t ask him, we were sure he’d want to be the next Herb Alpert to our female Osmonds. We practiced like mad, but I couldn’t quite make a powder-blue organ with no stand and the desperate need for an extension cord sound like the big time. There went that dream.

All this time, we were doing other things. We’d put together a newsletter – happenings on the farm. We sold it to the neighbors for five cents. My sister soon tired of this, but I couldn’t stop! A writer was born.

That was what I wanted to be when I grew up. I don’t write about the cats and the cows anymore, but this is the dream and I’m living it. :)

Celebrate Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day on April 24!

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Comments

  1. By Lori

    I still wish I had spurs. :)

  2. By Rebecca Smith

    Way to live the dream, Cowgirl! You rock : )

  3. By bleeding espresso

    I think I wanted to be a nurse (like my mommy) for about 10 minutes until blood showed up too….

    Best of luck :)

  4. By Lori

    Go for it, Becky. You can do it!

  5. By becky

    Wow, this is great, Lori. I’m living the dream 1/2 time, and hope to full time someday.

  6. By Dana

    Great story and congrats for doing what so few get to do. I’m living the dream too although one better. When I first defined the dream, I said one day I wanted to fax copies of my work to my editor from wherever. This was before the internet so now I don’t have to fax and being a freelancer I don’t have just one editor. Yay, technology!

  7. By Lori

    I know. It makes my toes all warm. :))

  8. By Kristen King

    I hope not because I was teasing you. :) I hope it’s from the outpouring of looooooooooove. Cuz, you know, we like TOTALLY adore you.

  9. By Lori

    I’m all verklempt! :))

  10. By Kristen King

    Wow, there are a lot of comments here that I totally missed! Thank you all for coming and sharing! It’s so good to see so many loving on our Lori. :)

  11. By Kristen King

    Especially you, Lori. Just kidding. :-*

  12. By Lori

    Thanks everyone! How odd the path to our adult lives is, eh?

  13. By Kristen King

    Thanks for the encouragement, Lillie. :)

  14. By Lillie Ammann

    Great story, Lori! Congratulations on living the dream.

  15. By Kristen King

    Thanks, Tei! :) We all appreciate your support.

  16. By Tei

    Awesome, Lori! I’ll go tell my readers to come around and vote for you too.

  17. By Kathleen Livingston

    A great story, an inspirational one that makes me stop writing and stop reading … as I sit here thinking back on who I dreamed of being and who inspired me. And lastly, Lori, thanks for mothering all of us and letting us know … ‘it’ can be done.

  18. By Mihaela Lica

    This is beautiful and inspirational – and a short sample of great writing. :)

  19. By Jennifer

    Ha! I had a pony too; and he was definitely faster on the way coming home than on the way coming out. And I STILL have my beat-up keyboard with the sketchy extension cord (you have to wiggle it to make it work). Loved this post.