EY#23: What did you want to be when you grew up?

What did I want to be when I grew up?  Wow! This could be the shortest post in the world and I could just say "a teacher" and be done with it, but then again, I wouldn't want to disappoint all of my loved ones who visit this site and hang onto my every word.  So, I shan't disappoint and shall expound!

The first time I was ever asked the question, I was either in kindergarten or first grade.  I remember that it was in the kitchen of my grandma's house in Oswego, Illinois and I know it was one of my aunts (Grace, Marge or Dorothy) who asked the question.  For some reason I want to say it was Aunt Grace, but I can't be sure.  BUT... I do remember my answer. With no thought or hesitation I declared "A teacher."  Not sure exactly why I came to that decision, probably because it meant I'd be able to write on a chalkboard and read books all day!  OH! And being able to make red checkmarks on kids' papers and then put a BIG red number at the top of the page, with a big red circle around it!  But, that desire never died, in spite of a few detours along the way.

Oh yeah... there was the period of time that I thought I wanted to be a ballerina.  That was when I had a set of ballerina ColorForms dolls.  (Wow! I haven't seen ColorForms FOREVER!  Anyone remember them?)  I seem to remember thinking how cool it would be to be able to dance on your toes.

Then I fancied that I would be a singer and would sneak the mutes for one of my brothers' horns to be a microphone and sing my heart out alone in my room.

Oh. Then there was the librarian phase.  (Again with the fascination with books!)  But the real draw to being a librarian was those nifty pencils they used to use!  The pencils were always sharp and they had that nifty rubber stamp attached to the side.  I was fascinated when I went to the library and went to the desk to check out my books to watch the librarian press her rubber stamp onto the ink pad and then stamp the due date in the front of my book and then so smoothly turn the pencil over and write her initials next to the stamp in my book!

Then we moved to a farm in Wisconsin and my dad bought me a pony.  I got my first (and only) pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat and fancied myself a real cowgirl!  Until I realized I was REALLY afraid to ride my pony unless my dad was walking alongside with the reins.

Then reality set in a bit more and I went back to wanting to be a teacher because of my third grade teacher, Miss Keyes, at Schurz Elementary School in Watertown, Wisconsin.  I thought she was great and so talented to be able to teach a class of third and fourth graders in one classroom at the same time! WOW!

So, the desire to teach held true on into high school and as I became involved in the advanced math placement class and got to work with some really great math teachers, I changed from elementary teacher to math teacher... until my junior year.  When I heard that the state of Illinois was going to reduce the state requirement of 3 years of high school math to just ONE!!  Ever the realist, I looked around myself at all the math teachers in my school and it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there wouldn't be enough math students to keep all these math teachers employed if they took away two thirds of the classes. (And face it, there aren't that many people who voluntarily take math classes!).  

So, time to rethink my career choice!  I knew I liked math & science.  I knew I liked children.  I knew I liked helping people.  Mine would not be a "get rich" career.  So, I began doing some research into different health or human resource-type careers and settled on Occupational Therapy, which took me to Millikin University, because their literature said they had an OT program.  They lied.  Long enough for me to get hooked on the school and my sorority.  So, I had to change my major to stay there!

Well, I planned on working primarily with children with my OT, so I decided I'd go the Special Ed route and still be able to work with a lot of the same children.  Millikin had a Special Ed program, or so they told me until the end of my sophomore, when I had grown to love MU & ZTA even more AND Randy had entered my life!  I couldn't transfer then!

Time to make another career choice and, you guessed it, back to Elementary Ed I went.  And it just felt right!  It was tough getting a teaching job.  Everyone had to pay their "dues."  So, I subbed for almost a year, worked as a teacher's aid for another semester and finally got my own classroom in September of '78.  The career was short-lived though after marrying in December of '78 and having my first daughter in '79 and I left my beloved teaching job to stay home and be a mom to my new beautiful, baby girl.

Over the years, I tried to get back into teaching a few times; started paying my dues again with the "sub" routine, but it was never again meant to be.  Eventually, I needed to get another type of job to support the family while Randy went back to school to finally get his degree and that's how I ended up at Walmart.  The funny thing was that as I began building my career with WM, I recognized more and more opportunities to train associates and set my sights on moving into Talent Development.  

Time and locations were never right until two years ago, January, 2011 when I finally moved into Walmart Talent Development in the Seattle, Washington area.  A dream job for me actually.
A job that has given me the opportunity to combine 20+ years of retail experience with my education degree to help train new managers and try to improve the quality of the training programs in the stores.

So, that's that.  Not a terribly exciting or amusing post, but I think you can see why I always asked my children, from very young ages, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  I watched for their skills. I watched for their talents.  I watched for those things that brought light into their eyes and I tried to help them pursue their goals, whether they were ones I would have chosen for them or not.  And you know what?  "They done good!"  Every one of them went to college.  Every one of them pursued THEIR own interests, not mine.  They aren't all done with school yet, but they're all in good places in their lives and I'm proud of each and every one of them.

So, my beloved grandchildren, I now ask you: What do YOU want to be when you grow up?  You might change your mind a dozen times along the way, but set your sights on something that will make you happy.  Whether you're a neurosurgeon, president of the United States or a plumber be true to yourself, your talents and your loves and be happy!