Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

LogDog75

(626 posts)
Wed Jul 9, 2025, 10:58 PM Wednesday

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up

I know a lot of little boys wanted to be a fireman or policeman and little girls wanted to be a nurse or mommy. I had watched a show on TV in the mid-50s about trains. In one scene, they showed a hopper car was being filled and that fascinated me to to the point where I wanted to be the guy sitting up in the tower controlling the filling of the cars.

37 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up (Original Post) LogDog75 Wednesday OP
I had two big ones when I was little.. FirstLight Wednesday #1
Superman. NoMoreRepugs Wednesday #2
Retired enid602 Wednesday #3
For awhile I wanted to be a pirate - an odd goal for a little girl, Ocelot II Wednesday #4
Lol JMCKUSICK Thursday #31
F16 pilot purple_haze Wednesday #5
Me too! Nt leftieNanner Wednesday #8
weatherman, being in texas where things got wild. way to much higher math skills needed tho nt msongs Wednesday #6
I wanted to be here today, to watch the ...... calikid Wednesday #7
This message was self-deleted by its author Silent Type Wednesday #9
Ballerina!!! elleng Wednesday #10
In order: Astronaut, Soldier, "Scientist", Mathematician, Astrophysicist, and finally Musician LudwigPastorius Thursday #11
I wanted to be a seamtress. Figarosmom Thursday #12
when I was 8 I wanted to be a Greyhound Bus Driver gopiscrap Thursday #13
First a ballerina oberle Thursday #14
i be t u make lovely music whilst at it . thanks for your gift. AllaN01Bear Thursday #17
Baseball player sakabatou Thursday #15
train engineer , airline pilot , well u know . but due to eyesight and dexterity issues . couldnt. didnt have a clear AllaN01Bear Thursday #16
Large animal vet sinkingfeeling Thursday #18
I wanted to smoke cigars and drive a Harley Davidson Emile Thursday #19
Caboose occupant, lighthouse operator, Zamboni driver. Harker Thursday #20
I wanted to be a marine biologist and do research like Jacques Cousteau. lark Thursday #21
A lawyer or a book editor. I work in Luciferous Thursday #22
A dancer! Nittersing Thursday #23
An actress, which I did all through high school; but when I got to college, Sogo Thursday #24
Originally, a pilot Oeditpus Rex Thursday #25
A school teacher. LoisB Thursday #26
Oh, a glamorous movie star! I wanted to be Elizabeth Taylor because she was so beautiful! CTyankee Thursday #27
My most consistent area of interest was biology/science, even in elementary school. 3catwoman3 Thursday #28
Movie stunt man Danascot Thursday #29
A writer llmart Thursday #30
I wanted to be a cab driver. JMCKUSICK Thursday #32
A Chinese chop suey maker. greatauntoftriplets Thursday #33
Hegemon Solly Mack Friday #34
A doctor and an ice skater berniesandersmittens Friday #35
A cardiovascular surgeon. I was a child when Michael DeBakey became famous. NNadir Friday #36
A scientist bif Friday #37

FirstLight

(15,467 posts)
1. I had two big ones when I was little..
Wed Jul 9, 2025, 11:00 PM
Wednesday

I wanted to be the first woman president of the United States! LOL (I think that was a control issue because I didn't feel like I had much say in my family dynamic being the youngest..)

....and I wanted to be a long haul trucker cuz I thought it was so cool driving and talking on a CB...!
My Dad put one in the family station wagon and we used to try and talk to trucks when we were on road trips 😁

Ocelot II

(125,905 posts)
4. For awhile I wanted to be a pirate - an odd goal for a little girl,
Wed Jul 9, 2025, 11:02 PM
Wednesday

but I was an odd little girl.

msongs

(71,790 posts)
6. weatherman, being in texas where things got wild. way to much higher math skills needed tho nt
Wed Jul 9, 2025, 11:08 PM
Wednesday

calikid

(695 posts)
7. I wanted to be here today, to watch the ......
Wed Jul 9, 2025, 11:09 PM
Wednesday

change from this disgusting patriarchy to a more humane and loving society.

Response to calikid (Reply #7)

LudwigPastorius

(12,920 posts)
11. In order: Astronaut, Soldier, "Scientist", Mathematician, Astrophysicist, and finally Musician
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 12:16 AM
Thursday

...and I did become a musician...and, sort of, lived happily ever after.

Figarosmom

(6,828 posts)
12. I wanted to be a seamtress.
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 12:17 AM
Thursday

I had every intention of having my own little shop making clothing and other linens to order and alterations.

gopiscrap

(24,426 posts)
13. when I was 8 I wanted to be a Greyhound Bus Driver
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 12:45 AM
Thursday

until I found out that they went from point A to point B over and over

I thought they hnded you the keys and you went where you wanted and just picked up people as you went along

My first real ambition was to be a politician and a pastor and I have gotten to do both I ran for US Congress in 1990 and was the co pastor of a United Methodist Church for 3 years

oberle

(118 posts)
14. First a ballerina
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 12:52 AM
Thursday

Then a school teacher. And finally an organist. I became an organist and at 77, still am one.

AllaN01Bear

(26,372 posts)
16. train engineer , airline pilot , well u know . but due to eyesight and dexterity issues . couldnt. didnt have a clear
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 02:47 AM
Thursday

carrear path and glad i am now retired . lovin it.

Emile

(35,885 posts)
19. I wanted to smoke cigars and drive a Harley Davidson
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 09:26 AM
Thursday

motorcycle, just like my uncle Herbert.

Harker

(16,575 posts)
20. Caboose occupant, lighthouse operator, Zamboni driver.
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 09:31 AM
Thursday

I didn't fully realize how much work these people do.

Nittersing

(7,380 posts)
23. A dancer!
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 01:30 PM
Thursday

Lived just outside of NYC and thought it would be so cool to dance in a show on Broadway!

In hind sight, I think Broadway would've eaten me alive. Not enough self confidence to stand up to the constant judging.

I ended up fixing HVAC stuff.

Sogo

(6,434 posts)
24. An actress, which I did all through high school; but when I got to college,
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 01:42 PM
Thursday

the people in the theater department were too weird for me. I did acting because it was fun; they were in it to "find themselves."

So, I did a fair amount of teaching and writing and finally ended up in the business world and never really thought about acting again.

Oeditpus Rex

(42,052 posts)
25. Originally, a pilot
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 02:02 PM
Thursday

Then, at about 9, I became a cartophile -- fascinated with maps. I collected dozens on our summer vacation trips and soon began to draw them myself.

At 10 or 11, I wrote a letter asking for a job to the Goushā company, second ònly to Rand McNally in production of road maps and located just up 101 in San Jose. I got back a fatherly, two-page letter from a vice president, encouraging me to stick with it and to contact him when I turned 18.

I studied mechanical drawing (drafting) from junior high into college, but for reasons I can't recall, got kicked out of my college class by the instructor. That made me abandon the thought of being a cartographer. I took a year off from college and returned to major in journalism, which became my career.

CTyankee

(66,548 posts)
27. Oh, a glamorous movie star! I wanted to be Elizabeth Taylor because she was so beautiful!
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 03:51 PM
Thursday

I posed as her in front of the mirror.

3catwoman3

(27,132 posts)
28. My most consistent area of interest was biology/science, even in elementary school.
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 03:59 PM
Thursday

I liked lab equipment - test tubes, Florence and Erlenmeyer flasks, Bunsen burners. I graduated from nursing school on 1973, and worked until March 31st, 2021, so a long career in human biology.

llmart

(16,620 posts)
30. A writer
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 09:45 PM
Thursday

By high school I was writing for the school newspaper and then was chosen to be editor. I really wanted to be an investigative reporter for the NY Times. Now I just write posts on DU.

I did always want to be a mommy though and that much I did accomplish. My career was in human resources management.

JMCKUSICK

(3,117 posts)
32. I wanted to be a cab driver.
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 10:18 PM
Thursday

From the moment at 17 when I got my D L.,, I would call the cab companies in Minneapolis every year around my birthday. Red&White Cab Co. Was dumb enough to say yes when I turned 20.
Spoiler: Never hand a twenty year old the keys to an ex cop car that really does have the souped up engine, transmission, suspension etc...
I love love love love driving to this very day, and my absolute passion to be great was probably what saved my life, because I was insane lol, but drove every mile like it was my first. Always learning, and yes, pushing.
My next fun job was driving an emergency ambulance for a living. For another day....

greatauntoftriplets

(177,944 posts)
33. A Chinese chop suey maker.
Thu Jul 10, 2025, 11:33 PM
Thursday

I have absolutely no Asian ancestry, just liked Chinese food. Still do.

NNadir

(36,158 posts)
36. A cardiovascular surgeon. I was a child when Michael DeBakey became famous.
Fri Jul 11, 2025, 01:58 PM
Friday

My aunt was one of the earliest patients to receive an artificial heart valve, and lived more than a decade with it.

I didn't come close to becoming a surgeon, particularly because I'm far too squeamish and in any case would have never developed the "hands."

(My father-in-law was a doctor and rather thought the profession sucked.)

Chemistry is far more fun, so I'm glad to have changed my mind.

Latest Discussions»The DU Lounge»As a kid, what did you wa...