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Oeditpus Rex

(42,076 posts)

25. Originally, a pilot

Reply to LogDog75 (Original post)

Thu Jul 10, 2025, 02:02 PM

Jul 10

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.

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Highlight:

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up [View all] LogDog75 Jul 9 OP

I had two big ones when I was little.. FirstLight Jul 9 #1

Superman. NoMoreRepugs Jul 9 #2

Retired enid602 Jul 9 #3

For awhile I wanted to be a pirate - an odd goal for a little girl, Ocelot II Jul 9 #4

Lol JMCKUSICK Jul 10 #31

F16 pilot purple_haze Jul 9 #5

Me too! Nt leftieNanner Jul 9 #8

weatherman, being in texas where things got wild. way to much higher math skills needed tho nt msongs Jul 9 #6

I wanted to be here today, to watch the ...... calikid Jul 9 #7

This message was self-deleted by its author Silent Type Jul 9 #9

Ballerina!!! elleng Jul 9 #10

In order: Astronaut, Soldier, "Scientist", Mathematician, Astrophysicist, and finally Musician LudwigPastorius Jul 10 #11

I wanted to be a seamtress. Figarosmom Jul 10 #12

when I was 8 I wanted to be a Greyhound Bus Driver gopiscrap Jul 10 #13

First a ballerina oberle Jul 10 #14

i be t u make lovely music whilst at it . thanks for your gift. AllaN01Bear Jul 10 #17

Baseball player sakabatou Jul 10 #15

train engineer , airline pilot , well u know . but due to eyesight and dexterity issues . couldnt. didnt have a clear AllaN01Bear Jul 10 #16

Large animal vet sinkingfeeling Jul 10 #18

I wanted to smoke cigars and drive a Harley Davidson Emile Jul 10 #19

Caboose occupant, lighthouse operator, Zamboni driver. Harker Jul 10 #20

I wanted to be a marine biologist and do research like Jacques Cousteau. lark Jul 10 #21

A lawyer or a book editor. I work in Luciferous Jul 10 #22

A dancer! Nittersing Jul 10 #23

An actress, which I did all through high school; but when I got to college, Sogo Jul 10 #24

Originally, a pilot Oeditpus Rex Jul 10 #25

A school teacher. LoisB Jul 10 #26

Oh, a glamorous movie star! I wanted to be Elizabeth Taylor because she was so beautiful! CTyankee Jul 10 #27

My most consistent area of interest was biology/science, even in elementary school. 3catwoman3 Jul 10 #28

Movie stunt man Danascot Jul 10 #29

A writer llmart Jul 10 #30

I wanted to be a cab driver. JMCKUSICK Jul 10 #32

A Chinese chop suey maker. greatauntoftriplets Jul 10 #33

Hegemon Solly Mack Jul 11 #34

A doctor and an ice skater berniesandersmittens Jul 11 #35

A cardiovascular surgeon. I was a child when Michael DeBakey became famous. NNadir Jul 11 #36

A scientist bif Jul 11 #37