Sunday, September 13, 2009

Changes

Just thought that I'd throw out a quick post this Sunday night. Had a good time today at the greyhound picnic. Will put out a few photos once we get them off of the camera.

My sister is settling in here, but is still on the hunt for a job. It was a tough circumstance for her back in London as they have an 11% unemployment rate now as the region is so dependent on the waning auto industry. We are faring better on the Atlantic, but it's still a bit difficult.

I'm reminded of a school assembly we had, I think back in Jr. High. We were all herded into the gym and some job expert told us that the future will be different for us than it was for our parents. No longer will you start a job when you leave school and work at that job your entire career until retirement. He told us we would probably have 3 or 4 'careers' in our work lifetimes. For the most part, I think he was right. I worked as a clerk in a mineral exploration office. I've also swept floors at K-mart (and worked in the warehouse) and was a dog catcher (I prefer the more politically correct Animal Control Officer). I now call myself a structural steel detailer (or simply a drafting monkey). Who knows what the future will hold?

The other day, I heard on the radio that only 1 in 8 people end up with their 'dream job' from their childhood. I fancied that I would be an evil despot a pilot when I was a boy. The following is the list of top 5 dream jobs for boys and girls:

Boys

  1. Professional Athlete
  2. Entrepreneur (sp?)
  3. Rock Singer
  4. Pilot
  5. Doctor

Girls

  1. Teacher
  2. Doctor
  3. Veterinarian
  4. Pop Star
  5. Business Woman

One can really see the similarities, and the differences, between the lists...What do you want to be when you grow up? Hmm...to dream. A writer, perchance?

13 comments:

Laura Eno said...

What is this 'growing up' that you speak of? It sounds like a disease. Whatever it is, I want nothing to do with it.

Jameson T. Caine said...

Junior High is when I decided I wanted to be a writer. Sometime in High school I pushed that aside in favor of musician (rock star). I had a band and man did we suck. Still, that yearning to be a musician was strong. I even fancied being both rock star and novelist, figuring I could churn out my books on the tour bus between cities. Yeah, I had no grasp of reality. Back then the idea that I would end up driving big rigs was something I could never imagine.

BT said...

Cool lists. My little girl currently wants to be a professional netballer with a vets degree, who fixes computers, writes the occasional story and periodically releases a new single. She's given up thoughts of nursing and teaching when told she wouldn't have enough time.

I was a much simpler creature when I was little. I wanted to be a helicopter pilot. I now maintain remote computing services for the government and write strange stories in my spare time. Instead of soaring through the heavens, I spend large chunks of my day sat in a chair!

Anonymous said...

Laura - I'm with you, Tinkerbell!

Fox Lee said...

Apparently, I was once a little boy ; )

Alan W. Davidson said...

Laura-Good philosphy...I suppose having a 13yr old helps keep us young(ish).

Jameson-I had no visions of writing in my childhood...or rock star for that matter. I think my singing made the ears of those around me bleed profusely.

BT-Your girl seems capable of multi-tasking. Looks like a bright future in store.

Anton-Always thought your real name was Peter!

Natalie-Not everyone can be a "girly-girl."

K.C. Shaw said...

I was always changing my mind on what I wanted to be when I grew up. I knew I'd be a writer, but I don't think I really expected to make a living from it (that was my sole connection to reality as a kid).

Too bad I can't say, "As a little girl, I always dreamed of being a college test proctor. And now I've achieved that dream!"

Aaron Polson said...

I want to be a decent human being when I grow up. Failing that, I'll take evil despot (er, pilot).

I always wanted to be a palentologist when I grew up. I know...I was a weird kid.

Cate Gardner said...

I wanted to be a singer and a vet. Well a vet, then a vetenary nurse and then a kennel maid, which was all really silly because we had a tiny dog and I used to scream everytime it came near my ankles.

Akasha Savage. said...

I always wanted to be a wing-walker...still do as it goes...

Alan W. Davidson said...

KC-Every kid need a connection to reality...I collected rocks, hence my other career dream of being a geologist. Science sucks...

Aaron-I'm sure that horror writers can be decent human beings as well. Mostly.

Cate-If I understand kennel maid properly, I believe I did that job. I used to clean out poopy dog cages at an animal shelter. Sometimes I washed my hands before eating lunch.

Akasha-Ooh, a woman with an adventurous spirit...I like that!

Katey said...

I'm with Laura, and also with the dream jobs lists. That's kind of fascinating... okay, REALLY fascinating. I think I wanted to be a "writer" with a viable degree... then decided to study art history. WTF was I thinking?

Alan W. Davidson said...

Hey, you're still young(ish) Katey...why don't you see if some of your art history credits are transferable and go back to school for a couple of years to get that viable writing degree (I was 24-26 during my time at college to get my drafing monkey diploma).