Childhood ambitions

[magnatom]

What were your childhood ambitions? What did you want to do when you grew up? Did anyone achieve them?

As a kid I always loved science, especially anything to do with space. I always wanted to be an astronaut. My biggest dream was/is to get far enough from the earth to be able to cover it with my thumb. I think looking back at what is and has (until now) always been our home would be awe inspiring and very, very humbling. Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever manage it. Maybe my children will have that opportunity....

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I wanted to be an astronaut, and an architect, then a writer, then a pilot. I almost did the latter, I do write, and I married someone who trained as an architect! So not too bad...

 

[Smeggers]

Astronaut too for just the same reasons.

 

[Aperitif]

Artist

 

[Arch]

First, I wanted to be a jockey. However, i reasond to myself that because I couldn't ride a horse (this is at the age of about 5), that road was closed to me. Not sure why I didn't think that maybe one day I'd learn (and by that stage be about twice the weight of most jockeys)

So then I wanted to be an astronaut, too.

In fact, a mate of mine, recently applied to be one - there was a call for ordinary people to apply, possibly from the European Space Agency, I'm not sure. You just had to be fit and have a science degree to apply. Anyway, he filled in the form, and awaits a reply...

Having decided astronaut might be a bit beyond me, I'm still waiting to find out what I want to do when I grow up...

 

[Maz]

I loved watching Jacques Cousteau programmes and wanted to be a Marine Biologist.

 

[Haitch]

I loved watching Jacques Cousteau programmes and wanted to be a Marine Biologist.

Snap!

 

[Kirstie]

Musician. I was seriously talented as a kid but it all went to shoot when I lost the use of my arms in my late teens because of an internal congenital deformity. By the time they'd diagnosed and fixed it (there are only 10 cases of it in the UK so it's very rare) I was 25, missed most of the career chances I had, so settled with being an academic instead. Nowadays, sometimes I want to be a landscape architect, sometimes I want to be something horticultural, but sometimes I still want to be a pro musician. Don't have the time to put the practice in now...nor the money to retrain properly

My brother is a pro musician and he's doing OK for himself...

 

[HLaB]

As a kid I guess I wanted to be all of those things at one time or another, astronaut, secret agent, pilot, superhero, etc but I guess I grew up.

 

[Dayvo]

Wanted to be a professional cricketer!

Travel the world to exotic locations Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Lahore Sydney, Barbados etc. Eat LOADS of sarnies and cakes, and have LOTS of beer afterwards!

Played to a reasonably high level, and did indeed play in Sydney and Barbados; anihilated all and sundry at the tea table. Had a dozen sarnies once, and still managed 7 cakes; and still managed to open the bowling!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

sometimes I still want to be a pro musician. Don't have the time to put the practice in now...nor the money to retrain properly

You're still the best accordian-playing cycling academic that I know!

 

[Kirstie]

You're still the best accordian-playing cycling academic that I know!

arf arf

 

[Plax]

I wanted to be a pilot - was in the ATC, but I didn't have perfect enough vision to be a pilot (speccy four eyes and all that!). The RAF were going to sponsor me through university (I was thinking RAF police at this point), but you had to be in the RAF then for a 16 year contract and I decided that it wasn't for me as I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to be in the RAF and didn't want to be stuck doing something I wasn't keen on for 16 years. Naturally regret it now, but hey ho!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I wanted to be a pilot - was in the ATC, but I didn't have perfect enough vision to be a pilot (speccy four eyes and all that!). The RAF were going to sponsor me through university (I was thinking RAF police at this point), but you had to be in the RAF then for a 16 year contract and I decided that it wasn't for me as I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to be in the RAF and didn't want to be stuck doing something I wasn't keen on for 16 years. Naturally regret it now, but hey ho!

Same here! (except I have 20/20 vision). I am small, so they wanted me to fly front-line combat jets... but then I became a pacifist which put a bit of an obstacle in that path...

 

[magnatom]

As a kid I guess I wanted to be all of those things at one time or another, astronaut, secret agent, pilot, superhero, etc but I guess I grew up.

Grow up! I think I will always want to go up into space and look back at earth. I suppose, to some extent, my reasons for wanting to do it have changed a little, but the urge is still there as strong as ever.

If NASA ever needs a medical physicist who specialised in MRI (or a helmet wearing cyclist) on their (cough, cough) future moon base, then I'm their man!