What Will You Be When You Grow Up?

“I would like to be a chemical technician. To change the world, I would like to have an army of robots to do all of the kids work, and make candy that is good for you, but still tasted good” - David Adair

“I want to be an artist. To change the world, I want to find cures for all kinds of diseases. I want to make buildings more beautiful” - Brian Kirmse

“I would like to be a teacher. To change the world, I would take everything about Social Studies out” - Cheryl Richardson

“I would like to be a professional Drum Player. To change the world, I would create sunshine all year round. It will put people in a good mood.” - Jurnetta Roberts

“I want to be a Psychiatrist. To change the world I would help people get along with each other.” - Kim Rogers

It isn’t often that we (The 40+ crowd) have the opportunity to reach back in time and remember the dreams and aspirations we once had as young kids…a time we looked at everything around us through a much wider lens. The world was at our disposal. We had no boundaries, no glass ceilings…no responsibilities or obligations that limited our ability to dream about who we were going to become, or what we would do to change the world. Is it possible at 40+ to reclaim that same feeling of immeasurable potential? Is it possible for us to look through that wide angle lens, and once again see how we can change the world for the better without considering the obstacles that might get in the way?

With the years continuing to fly by, it’s my opinion that we tend to accumulate a heaviness brought on by life itself…a weight of sorts that slowly builds to a point where we no longer feel we can fly. As we grow older, our understanding of the world around us, and all its lessons taught, starts to chisel away our once wide angled lens, leaving us with a very narrow and sometimes blinded view of our own potential. As one always willing to give advise (good or bad), we must create our own “light at the end of the tunnel”, so to speak, before the real “light at the end of the tunnel” is presented to us. We should never stop dreaming of who we can be, or how we can change the world for the better.

“I want to be a Photographer for Wildlife. I would change the world by stopping pollution, lowering taxes, and trying to produce more oil” - Dave Willard, 1981(6th Grade)