When I Grow Up

My youngest daughter wants to be an artist when she grows up. My eldest also wanted to be an artist at seven, but now at twelve thinks she wants to be a teacher. At seven, I wanted to be a writer. With the advent of home computers, I was programming by eleven. Got my first job in computers at my dads business when I was fourteen, worked as a stock boy from fifteen to eighteen, started programming again at nineteen, became a deli manager at twenty two, got back into programming at twenty three, held computer jobs(SA,SSA,DBA,BADM,etc.) until I was thirty six, then til now am a partner in a software business. I look back at all the jobs and careers I had and am astonished. I've never had more than two weeks consecutive off since I started working.

It's funny thinking that I wanted to be a writer when I was seven. I thought I'd have a novel published by the time I was twenty one. I did have graphics design credits on a nationally published science text book when I was eighteen and now one of the responsibilities I've taken on at my company is writing documentation, but as of yet, no great American novel.

Back to my point. It is amazing to me that the majority of people I know have the jobs you would have picked for them when they were younger. There are a few exceptions, but early life talents seem to dictate future endeavor.

That being said, I have started 'kid projects' for my children. Every other week we will have a new task. I'll start it with them and then they will have two weeks to complete it. Most will be fun, the current one being photography, the next drawing then painting, etc.. These projects will hopefully inspire us to find things that we will want to pursue. Awaken a sleeping artistic side, so to speak. I reflect back now on all the things I wished I'd tried as a kid and hope at my age, my kids will not have to do the same.

Inspiration begets motivation beget inspiration.

Art Credits: One of Lizzy's creature drawings from when she was six.