Friday Fun: What did you want to be when you grew up?

[Valerie Knapp]

Hey everyone! Happy Friday!

One of my earlier memories of kindergarden was some kind of career day, where we dressed up to be what job or who we wanted to be when we were older.

There are some pictures, unfortunately I don't have any here with me, of me dressed up as a doctor and I can still remember the little accessories, like some kind of bag, a child-sized stethescope, the reflex tester / knee hammer thing, all made out of plastic of course! Something like this, I seem to recall:

Anyway, I was thinking about this the other day and I wondered, how many people have this vision of what they want to be when they are small and then actually go on to do that thing? Is that you? Is it important? Is it significant? Do you ever think to yourself, what would the 5 year-old version of myself make of me!?

When I was 5, I lived with my parents and my little brother, in the same house in West Peoria, Illinois where my parents still live. If you had told me when I was 5, even when I was 17, that when I was (cough cough) nearly 40, I would be living in ITALY, that I speak Italian, after having lived also many years in the UK. I think I would have told you, you've got the wrong person!

As for who I have become at work, that has undergone many transformations over time. I studied and graduated with a degree in how to run Summer camps, which I did do for a time. Then, when I moved to the UK, I had to reinvent myself. I started working in schools, thinking it would be similar, chasing around kids all day. Eventually, I had to find a way to do a lot of complex, repetitive work, if I only I had found Jira sooner…

Anyway, let's hear your stories of your dreams and aspirations? Are you living the life that childhood you only could have dreamed??

[Saralie S.]

Thank you for sharing Valerie! 

As a kid, I wanted to be a fashion designer! 

[Dave Liao]

Have any side hustles in fashion? That's a cool dream!

[Morris Murithi]

Maybe I can try and realize that it's not late to know who I am and focus on life

[Andy Gladstone]

@Valerie Knapp I don't think I had realistic dreams of what I wanted to be when I grew up in my elementary school years. It was probably something like "Baseball player" or Hockey player". Or maybe professional hide-and-go seeker. 

In my Junior High School and High School years I gravitated towards wanting to pursue a career in writing or journalism. How does that explain my B.S. in Computer Science???

In some form, I am living my dream by using the written word for expression in my daily life (and here in the Atlassian Community). It may not be exactly what I envisioned, but it keeps me satisfied.

[Kristján Geir Mathiesen]

Happy Friday! I wanted to be an inventor, probably Q and other characters in the movies that inspired me...

[Matt Doar]

For me it was Jacque Cousteau, then an astronaut. Now I realize that the TV and films that I enjoyed all had lots of gadgets.

[Elizabeth Barr]

I wanted to be a veterinarian until about 2nd grade, when I realized it would entail (pun intended?) more than just playing with cute animals.

[John Funk]

In Junior High, I wanted to be a Highway Patrolman (Police Officer). Then in High School if shifted to being an Accountant - quite the change! Then a Teacher/Coach. And now I'm a Jira Administrator hahaha. 

[Summer Hogan]

That's a lot of change @John Funk 

[Amanda Barber]

Not quite the same, but I started college with a plan to be an accountant. Finished college as an early childhood teacher.. Taught for 12 years and now, I'm a project manager who also administers our Atlassian tools. 😊

[Summer Hogan]

Great subject @Valerie Knapp!

Like you I wanted to be a doctor too. Every time I would go to the doctor I was amazed by what they did and I thought they were superhero's and I wanted to do that! In my younger days I went to school to become a medical assistant. I finished and did an internship and then got a job at a family practice clinic. I soon realized that it was not for me and I quickly moved on. Thank goodness I paid for that schooling in cash instead of financial aid! Soon after I went to college (Go Devils!) and found my way into Information Technology where I am today! I did find my dream job as I am happy and satisfied in what I do! Even though it was not what I thought I would be doing, I love it! 

[John Funk]

I always suspected you were a Devil, hahaha. 

[Summer Hogan]

Yep, alumni and football season ticket holder. Although, kinda doubting it all now. UGH!

[Dave Liao]

I didn't want to be a Jira admin, that's for sure! 😉

I recall wanting to be a network administrator since I really liked LAN gaming.

I bet there are folks on this thread that have no idea what a LAN is, or who have never messed around with spools of CAT5 cable... 🤣

[Jack Brickey]

Astronaut 👩‍🚀 

I always loved what was going on in the space program and was glued to the TV during the lunar missions.

[Brant Schroeder]

Explorer (Indian Jones)

Probably not a real job but I thought traveling the world and discovering new things would be cool.

[Alex Koxaras _Relational_]

Pilot on a fighter jet...

Thank god that didn't happen! Pretty pleased as to where I'm currently at! :D

[Christian Happel]

At some point I wanted to become that, too. No idea why exactly, maybe it was the speed and the idea of flying which I had never done back then.
In the end I even chose not to do military service at all.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I used to vaccilate between various types of engineers because I saw my uncle get so many clever things done, but when I was a little older, I settled on what my grandma was - a polymath. 

She helped me get O and A levels in chemistry (before I was born, she was a chemist, working on inventing new plastics), she coached the British Olympic swimming team, she introduced me to chimpanzees in the last job before she retired (anthropology), spoke several languages, and, and, and.

I still aspire to most of that, I dabble in all sorts of stuff, albeit mostly just reading about it.

[Summer Hogan]

Your grandmother sounds like a pretty interesting woman @Nic Brough -Adaptavist- 

[Craig Nodwell]

Hockey Player.
That never happened I've worn a lot of hats over the years. 
I entered the workforce fulltime at the age of 15. 
Had a wife and child to support by then.... Times were a lot different.
Still not certain I've grown up though LOL

[Brant Schroeder]

@Craig Nodwell It is never too late to play hockey.  You can always play rec hockey.  My dad started playing in his 40s.

[Craig Nodwell]

LOL my grandsons play, my sons played, I played...  I'm in my 60's now, going for an ice skate is close enough :) 

[Johanna Pichotka_APTIS_]

I had lots of dreams as a kid. The one that stuck around the longest was being a riding instructor. 

I've loved horses through my entire childhood (still do!) and I loved being outside too. 

Little me certainly didn't think about sitting at a desk in front of a computer 35hours a week but I do still love what I do. 

[Marc Dvorschak]

At primary school I wanted to be a physicist 👨🏼‍🔬 or a teacher 👨🏼‍🏫. Now I'm a software developer 👨🏼‍💻 When I think about it, it's a bit of both: I experiment with new tools and methods and teach others how to develop software and use it.... Who would have thought that 😁

[Gergo Matyas]

As a kid, I always wanted to be a diplomat — a lot of traveling, meetings, parties, etc... But now I'm really sure that I'll work as a woodworker when I don't want to work in the software industry anymore. (I hope I won't lose my fingers..😂)

[Kerli Loopman]

I wanted to be a hairdresser. Now I basically tuck my hair away from my face to ponytail or a bun and that's it.