What I wanted to be...

HS · June 2003

Watching American Juniors this past Tuesday made me think back to when I was young...doing things like practicing accepting an award (Emmy or Oscar) in front of the mirror.

I went through many phases of "What I want to be when I grow up". Astronaut, marine trainer, teacher, truck driver (used to love BJ and the Bear with Greg Evigan and a chimp), singer, actress, figure skater...you name it, I probably wanted to be it!

What about you?

jmpmo · June 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-05-03 AT 08:46AM (CST)[/font][p]I also wanted to do the teacher and actress thing. I ended up being a hospice nurse and "retiring" from that into HR. Should have stuck with being a teacher.

scottorr · June 2003

When I was really young, I wanted to an actor/singer. Then the 80's came and becoming the lead singer of a hair band was no longer for me. Thats when I decided I wanted to work with people. I wanted to be a Psychologist. I even went so far as to get two degrees in the field and worked in the field for 3 years. Then I decided to get my MBA so I could make some real money. I decided to practice my psychology in the office, HR and psychology are very closely related. Scarey but true!!!!!

ritaanz · June 2003

Marine biologist, until I found out I would have to swim with sharks.

LisaMN · June 2003

Isn't that what we do in HR?

ray a · June 2003

Professional musician - bass trombonist for the NY Philharmonic.

System · June 2003

Commercial airline pilot. I was getting set to start school at Hardesty International after graduating high school, then I met my future husband and decided I'd rather not be traveling all over the place when I'd have this perfectly delightful companion and probably children someday waiting for me at home.

safety · June 2003

Holy cow batman, it's Christy! xclap

Zanne · June 2003

Very young - wanted to be a fashion designer.
High school - wanted to be a lawyer.

I never "accepted" an emmy - but I did used to envision Life Magazine doing a pictorial essay on me. (My parents probably used to laugh at my posing all over the house.)

HS · June 2003

>I never "accepted" an emmy - but I did used to envision Life Magazine
>doing a pictorial essay on me. (My parents probably used to laugh at
>my posing all over the house.)

Admit it, they have pictures or video of you, don't they?

Zanne · June 2003

Well.....

Fortunately for me - I was the last of four kids. By the time I came around they were too busy or just too tired to take that many pictures of me.

mjindra · June 2003

I wanted to be a teacher since second grade. Then I went to college and got kicked out for partying too hard, (but I was SOOO good in High School!), and thank goodness for that turn! Teaching is a hard profession. After spending an afternoon in class with one of my daughter's classes, I'm exhausted. Those teacher's should be making double what they're making.

Leslie · June 2003

A world famous, globe trotting journalist who churned out a best seller once a year.

Don D · June 2003

I don't remember ever wanting to be anything back in high school. That's strange. In college I thought I wanted to join the peace corps. Then I got accepted and chickened out. Then I wanted to be an architect or lawyer but couldn't do math and was a smart ass around judges, so neither of those would work, and then I majored in social science and joined 'I Felta Thigh' fraternity instead. Went to work but wanted to move off to New Orleans and be a sidewalk artist or somebody who just hung out at the zoo where there was second hand smoke. Then I wanted to be a counselor, which I became. Next I wanted to retire from the state early and get a real job in private sector HR which I did. Then I wanted to take a chance with a job at a psychiatric residential treatment facility for children, which I did. Then I wanted an HR director position in a union setting, which I got and now I just got what I wanted again with my present job. In the interim, between and among those situations, I wanted and still want to be a writer and bottle tree builder and am dabbling in both. I now want to be a tombstone repairer in really old cemeteries and also to play backup fiddle for Merle Haggard or George Jones. I haven't failed at much since 10th grade, so who knows.

ray a · June 2003

Don, what are you going to do when you wake up from your dream?

Don D · June 2003

That will never happen. But, if I do, I die.

HR in PA · June 2003

I wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember and every year when school lets out for the summer, I kick myself in the rear!

cebudragonlady · June 2003

Way back when, in the early 1960s -I was offered the chance to be a model
and travel the world . But my Papa said "no", and I stayed home.
To imagine what could have been...

Chari

Trinity · June 2003

I wanted to be a professional singer and write mystery novels on the side...

Sunny · June 2003

I always planned to write the great American novel, become rich and famous and appear on the Tonight show. I've scaled back some and will now be happy with a successful mystery novel (I'm working on it) and a good career in mfg. HR (working on it, too.)

Margaret Morford · June 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-05-03 AT 09:59PM (CST)[/font][p]I always wanted to be a princess, but decided that wasn't feasible at the age of six. I then decided that I wanted to be a prima ballerina. I took one year of ballet with Ms. Shillinglaw (reminded me of a French version of the Wicked Witch of the West). I didn't take a second year (age seven) because I got tired of having Ms. Shillinglaw tell me to suck my stomach in and having to tell her it already was in!

Since Princess Margaret passed away last year, I'm thinking the world is lacking a Princess Margaret. I stand ready to step up and filled that void. When I told my father-in-law this, he reminded me that there was a Princess Margeaux in Belgium. I explained that she couldn't possibly be counted on to fill the vacuum because she didn't even know how to spell the name right!

I'm still waiting for the call from the Princess Elect Association (PEA to those of us in the know) to be vetted for the position. I'm just warning you, if I get a chance to be Princess Margaret, I'm giving up this HR stuff.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

sonny · June 2003

I think with all the great minds and power on this forum, we can designate you a princess, Margaret. We could have a big coranation (sp) party and Don can make fall on your face watermelon. What a good excuse for me to buy a new dress.

Margaret Morford · June 2003

Sonny,

I have been out of town and just returned to find your kind posting proposing me as Princess of the Forum. I want to be very clear about this. If asked to served, I will definitely serve! Although I'm a bit afraid to see what the scepter for the Forum looks like!

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

HS · June 2003

>Sonny,
>
>I have been out of town and just returned to find your kind posting
>proposing me as Princess of the Forum. I want to be very clear about
>this. If asked to served, I will definitely serve! Although I'm a
>bit afraid to see what the scepter for the Forum looks like!
>

Why Margaret, the scepter is a 'devil's pitchfork' or trident, didn't you know that?

x:D

psrcello · June 2003

As a young child, I didn't really know what I wanted to be - I just knew I wanted to wear a business suit and carry a brief case just like my father.

Both my parents had been educators, and as the oldest daughter, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that I would follow in their footsteps. I majored in music in college, and was short only my practice teaching to become certified. However, those days (1972), teachers were a dime a dozen, so since I had enough credits to graduate, I took my diploma in December, and set out to find myself in the "real world".

My transition since January 1973 has been: claims examiner and underwriter for an insurance company => individual and small group health insurance rep for insurance agency => benefits consultant for "big important international insurance broker" => benefits manager for several corporations => HR manager, then director, then VP for a corporation snatched up in an LBO in 1994 => hands-on HR manager for a medium sized plant (300 employees) in a small division of a super-huge international corporation.

Got to do the business suit and briefcase thing while I was on the corporate side of things, but am far happier in steel-toed boots and jeans, cruising around the plant floor at virtually any hour of the day or night. Did my career "backwards" - from consultant, to corporate specialist, to generalist, but it worked out well for me!

ray a · June 2003

Psrcello,

I too majored in music in college and back in the early to mid 70's. When people asked, "Why music?", I replied that I DID NOT want to follow in my dad's footsteps. He worked for IBM in a variety of professional positions including in the training field. I taught for 2 years, hated it, and went into the electronics manaufacturing business at one time as a training manager, now in HR.

BTW, do you play the cello?

psrcello · June 2003

Good guess! Yes, that's my primary instrument, but also dabble on keyboard, electric bass, a little flute, some accordion - I'm still lusting after a set of bagpipes, but living in an apartment might make practicing a little difficult!

Rockie · June 2003

Lemme see if I can remember that far back.

I wanted to be an attorney when I was in high school, but I worked for some during high school and decided I didn't want people talking about me the way they talked about the guys I worked for!

I floundered around a little and then decided I wasn't going to get anywhere in the business world without a college degree. I went back to school and worked in banking as an HR Specialist with a great mentor.

Then, I got into healthcare as an HR Director and two hospitals later, I am in a large cardiac practice which I love (most of the time).

If I had to do it all over again, I would join the FBI and train as a behavioral profiler, but this is not something that I would recommend for a family oriented person. (Lots of traveling and stress)

In my spare time, I satisfy my creative side by writing. I do have a written, unpublished novel that my husband keeps kicking me to send it.

ray a · June 2003

Bagpipes? I've been threatening to buy a set of the practice bagpipes - I love Celtic music - but my wife isn't too keen on it.

My main instrument is the bass trombone. Also play tenor trombone, euphonium, Eb tuba, flute and alto recorder. So, we do have the flute in common.

psrcello · June 2003

Maybe, if we can overcome the spousal resistance, we can add the pipes to the list!

Are you, by any chance, a PDQ Bach fan? I am, and many years ago, I was privileged to see his "alter-ego", Professor Peter Schickele, perform his "Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycle, and Balloons" with the Minnesota Orchestra - what a treat!

WOCO Frank · June 2003

I was going to be Ron Santo's replacement. I was screened out by the most unfair of tests... inability to hit the high fastball. 30 years later, the Cubs are still waiting for Ron Santo's replacement. Maybe the job will still be open when my son is ready.

What I wanted to be...

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