Are you what you wanted to be when you grew up?

[Kerry Stratton]

Maybe not truly fishing related. I seen this posted on a hunting site I visit and the responses were wonderful.

Myself, initially no. I can't remember really wanting to be anything in particular when I grew up. What I did was ride motorcycles and chase high dollar construction jobs up and down the west coast until an injury ended my construction work. I am now a systems administrator for a large horticultural company. Certainly nothing I aspired to be when I was young. One thing I am told by family and friends when I grew up (finally) I am alot like my father. If this is indeed the case then I have become what I wanted to be when I grew up. My father was the hardest working, most honest, and most family oriented man I have known. Not to mention an excellent fisherman. To be compared to him is the highest honor anyone could give me.

[Wildnative]

No. I was going to be a commercial airline pilot, then a commercial artist, then a school teacher, then a professional fly tier, then a guide...notice how each profession has slowly gone down hill? Now, I'm just a Joe lighting salesman.

A school teacher asked her class one day, "How many of you are bait fishers?"
All the kids raised their hands except one. The teacher asked the one, "Are you a fly fisher?"

"Yes" was the reply.

"How come?"

"Well, my dad was a fly fisher and my mom was a fly fisher, so I guess that makes me a fly fisher."

The teacher then asked, "If your dad was an idiot and your mom was a moron, what would that make you?"

"A bait fisher" the boy replied.

[Kaboom1]

Yhat is hard to say Kerry, as I do not believe I have grown up as of yet. I will be 54 years young next week and I am closing in on a 30 year in food safety. In a year or 2, I will have to decide what I want to do when I grow up.

As far as being what I wanted to be when I grew up, I have been married to a saint of a woman for 34 years, a father of 2 well adjusted adults, and soon to be a Grandfather. I guess I am about there...
Brad

[Jerry]

Yes, retired

[wayneb]

Hi Kerry;

Like you, I had no particular job title in mind when younger(I'm still growing up). But, that said I know what type of tasks I've always enjoyed doing. These involve understanding how things work, troubleshooting systems and equipment,repairing them and coming up with better and simpler ways of doing things.

My current job allows me to do all of these tasks to one extent or another depending on what's working,not working and/or what new challenges come up. I've been working in the same place for almost twenty years now and don't envision leaving until I can retire in 6 years. If I still want to work, I can go into consulting after I retire.

So I guess this is a rather long winded YES!

Wayneb

[Jeremy]

Kerry,

A fine post!! No matter if it's ff'ing related or not.

Basically...yes. And that's a bit amazing really. I remember as a child in England, the late '50's timeframe, (I was 9 or 10) I saw this huge, new building built across from where I used to fish and the sculptured figures in the vertical wall were intriguing. I found out the building was a drafting company and since I had a drafting class at the time (Orthographic Projection 101....I could hardly spell it!) I decided I wanted to be a draftsman.

I took the roundabout way after trade school for Graphic Arts, (Printing)joined the Army, back to trade school due to chemical allergies in the trade (Mech. Drafting), decided I wanted to be a Mech. Eng'r. but couldn't keep my nose in the books and went back to what came naturally.....being a mechanical tool designer!

It just came kind of easily after the runaround!

I still think I'm unbalanced. But I'm happy.... and will retire in just under a year.

I came from a VERY disjointed/lousy homelife and never thought I"d settle down as a family-man, even though I suppose inside it's what I wanted. I met a fine gal and she "grounded" me....

'Nuff said. I got lucky. I needed to...

Jeremy.

[mwebb]

No, but I did get a taste. I wanted to be an airline pilot. I made it. My late 20's an ealy 30"s, I was flying big jets and chasing flight attendents around the world. I lost my medical certificat as I was just getting going. That was over 20 years ago. I've eeked out a modest living ever since.

I do find peace in familly, golf and fly fishing. Things that may have passed me by if my life hadn't taken a detour when I had that 2 track (fast women and lots of dollars) mind.

[gutbomb]

Well, I'm not a billionaire cowboy astronaut surrounded by beautiful women with a rocket car in the garage of my mansion, so I'd say "no".

[bigfin56]

Not to hijack this thread, but, is this question really about your job, profession, etc.? Instead, isn't it really/also about ... Are you really the person you wanted to grow up to be? ... Values, ideals, contribution, etc.

[Kerry Stratton]

Not to hijack this thread, but, is this question really about your job, profession, etc.? Instead, isn't it really/also about ... Are you really the person you wanted to grow up to be? ... Values, ideals, contribution, etc.

Sure, for some thier vocation made them the person they are for others perhaps not so much. I think it can be both. What you are and who you are.