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what did you REALLY want to be when you grew up?

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My brother was once asked this by a kindly old gent at a family do. Four-year old Eddie looked up and replied "A magical flying horse".

A girl I know wanted to be a hurricane when she was older. I think I wanted to be a motorbike.

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:48 (twenty-two years ago)

A circus clown or Indiana Jones.

― Huck, Friday, 3 September 2004 13:49 (twenty-two years ago)

What was in your water?

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

You have odd friends & family DL! ;-)
I always wanted to be a vet, pretty simple really.

― PinXor (Pinkpanther), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I wanted to be a horse. (Just a nice chestnut would have done, the magic flying part didn't occur to me.) And I wanted to be a writer.

― Archel (Archel), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

2nd baseman for the Baltimore Orioles.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

A dinner lady.

― Madchen (Madchen), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:51 (twenty-two years ago)

WWII fighter pilot
Cosmonaut

― kephm (kephm), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Ballet dancer for the NYCB. or the Bolshoi.
Children's book writer.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Author or illustrator.

― Super-Masonic Black Hole (kate), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Air hostess or ballet dancer.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:56 (twenty-two years ago)

a swimming teacher and a writer

― Maria (Maria), Friday, 3 September 2004 13:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Depends on how old I would be, but roughly in chronological order:

1. Batman
2. Superman
3. A Japanese robot that could transform into a jet fighter
4. First baseman for the Yankees
5. Madonna's husband
6. A British rock star
7. A writer

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 3 September 2004 14:09 (twenty-two years ago)

A hero

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

you are my hero now, jel.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Billy Idol.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha, recovered memory: when I was like four we had a fantasy dress up party. I decided to be A STUDENT.

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I wore a red tie.

― Gregory Henry (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

It seems like I've always wanted to be a writer, but I don't think that interest really flourished until I was in junior high. Before that, I wanted to be either an artist or an actor.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

(I just came across something I wrote when I was six, where I said, "I like drawing. It is my favorite.")

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I wanted to be a witch.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not sure I didn't succeed.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Loved.

― Super-Masonic Black Hole (kate), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I only remember vaguely wanting to be an astronaut but giving up on that dream when a friend told me you had to get lots of shots. Later, I wanted to be a cartoonist.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Aw Kate, don't we all.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Let's see... A ballerina, a mom, a teacher, an architect...

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

wow thanks hstencil!

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

jel no problem, you are rad.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:26 (twenty-two years ago)

An astronomer.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

in order, i think:

veterinarian
architect
relief pitcher or any pitcher
first big american soccer star in england ("remember, call it 'football,' dude")
musician, probably jazz
songwriter
writer
writer/comedian
serious writer
poet
pony

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Friday, 3 September 2004 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

What NA said, basically.

Last night I told Ally I am going to run for Governor of Alabama and then use that as a stepping stone to the White House, because if they won't let me pilot giant robots then they're just going to have to deal with me being President.

― TOMBOT, Friday, 3 September 2004 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

but can you beat Charles Barkley?

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I would vote for Tom.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember telling my uncle that I wanted to be an accountant and embezzle millions

― Menelaus Darcy (Menelaus Darcy), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

http://home.swipnet.se/~w-32137/Gene77.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, there's some lame cutesy story my mom always tells about us going into a bakery when I was a little kid and I saw them open the cash register and saw all the money and told my mom I wanted to be a baker.
I just remembered that I wanted to be a judge at some point too.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:05 (twenty-two years ago)

a journalist.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:05 (twenty-two years ago)

1. detective
2. spy
3. stuntman
4. marine biologist-adventurer (i.e. like indiana jones but at sea)

― jones (actual), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

A mutha fuckin hustla

― Jimmy Mod, Man About Towne (ModJ), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Wonder Woman

― Je4nne Ć’ury (Jeanne Fury), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd vote for Tom, too.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

a cow.
i'd practice by eating the grass out in the yard . . .

― kelsey (kelstarry), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

writer --
later I wanted to be a translator but thought it a nerd's impossible dream
guess what, folks, my dream came true!
(except the part where I imagined I'd speak 7 languages and travel the world and be involved in international intrigue, like a linguistic 007)

― Maria D. (Maria D.), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I think I wanted to be a motorbike.

Heat Vision and Jack to thread

― chrisco (chrisco), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I think if our toddler understood the concept of growing up yet, he'd say "dump truck". Sometimes he says that when you ask his name.

― Maria D. (Maria D.), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:29 (twenty-two years ago)

nobody ever says 'waiter' do they?

― kephm (kephm), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Luke Duke

― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Friday, 3 September 2004 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

An actress.

I gave up on that around the age of 12 or 13 and switched to journalist.

― Anna (Anna), Friday, 3 September 2004 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

first i wanted to be black

then i wanted to be a girl

i ended up as a gay white guy... coulda been worse...

― Anthony (Plato Guy), Friday, 3 September 2004 17:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Rich and beautiful. Didn't we all?

― mouse (mouse), Friday, 3 September 2004 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

When I was seven... an astronaut.
When I was fifteen... the next David Gahan. (*hangs head in shame*)
When I was nineteen... the next David Morales.

Oh, wait, I haven't actually grown up yet.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 3 September 2004 21:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Not in any particular order:

rock star
politician
writer/journalist
co-founder of a radical self-sustaining anarchist commune.

I never wanted to be something other than human. That's kind of surreal, dl.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 3 September 2004 21:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I wanted to be either an oceanographer or a princess.

― Kim (Kim), Friday, 3 September 2004 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

When I was 8 or 10, I wanted to be a forest ranger.
Then I discovered girls. I didn't want to be one, though.

― jim wentworth (wench), Saturday, 4 September 2004 03:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I wanted to be a mermaid, or some kind of undersea chick anyhow. I was obsessed with mermaids and there being this whole underwater society when I was a kid.

Also, I apparently wanted to marry a rich man and live in a big house. Hahahaha!

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 4 September 2004 03:16 (twenty-two years ago)

A kid.

― oops (Oops), Saturday, 4 September 2004 06:27 (twenty-two years ago)

a writer. in about fifth grade, i remember i also made diagrams and plans for a girls school.

― youn, Saturday, 4 September 2004 07:30 (twenty-two years ago)

A snake! i said this in the garage when i was 3, and they reminded me of it for years! Then, a physicist, a swami, an archeologist (from 2nd to 5th grades), an actor, and then i was basically told i should just be the next Apu by the time middle school cameto an end...

― Vic (Vic), Saturday, 4 September 2004 11:38 (twenty-two years ago)

a fire station.
if that didn't work out I wanted to be a wild forest girl living alone in the forest ( of course ).

― donna (donna), Saturday, 4 September 2004 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

oh yeah, i also got this very stange allergic reaction when i was 12 and seriously started thinking that i was turning into a cat, because my mom had said something like people who get rabies "turn into dogs" (i think she was trying to scare me, it was some other context), and i feared that i had gotten the feline equivalent of that....then my vision and everything started getting fucked up and i swear this is the reason my nails grow so fast even to this day. it was bizarre

― Vic (Vic), Saturday, 4 September 2004 11:45 (twenty-two years ago)

In chronological order, I think:

1) a cartoon character
2) an astronaut
3) an explorer
4) a mutant
5) a revolutionary
6) a comics writer
7) a drummer
8) a scientist
9) happy

I sense a curve of diminishing expectations there...

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Saturday, 4 September 2004 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't believe at the age of 8 I actually had an ambition to be an architect, god i'm dull.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Saturday, 4 September 2004 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

nobody ever says 'waiter' do they?

I wanted to be a butler! then a mad scientist, then a non-mad scientist (well, geneticist).

― etc, Saturday, 4 September 2004 21:04 (twenty-two years ago)


  • <1990 - I wanted to be a film director.

  • 1990 - 1993 - Special Effects guru or Muppeteer.

  • 1993 - 1995 - Sultan of Brunai, or other Harem-endowed position of royalty.

  • 1995 - 1999 - Screenwriter / Director, emphasis on the "/"

  • 2000 - 2004 - Screenwriter / Sultan of Brunai

  • ― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Saturday, 4 September 2004 21:10 (twenty-two years ago)

    I wanted to be a pathologist. Pathologists get to cut up dead people.

    ― SRH (Skrik), Saturday, 4 September 2004 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

    http://www.peat.org/images/big-gangsta-izzy-two.jpg

    ― Harold Media (kenan), Saturday, 4 September 2004 21:49 (twenty-two years ago)

    Darlene from Roseanne. I turned out to be Roseanne from Roseanne or at least the world's meanest waitress.

    ― Nellie (nellskies), Saturday, 4 September 2004 22:30 (twenty-two years ago)

    eight years pass...

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/gallery/2013/jul/14/rugrats-grown-up-celeste-pille#/?picture=412729144&index=0

    what the fuck is this

    ― ^do not heed if you rate me (wins), Sunday, 14 July 2013 20:44 (thirteen years ago)


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