What do you want to be when you grow up?
I suppose when I was a kid I often heard that expression from adults, especially adult relatives: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I’m not sure how much serious thought or planning I ever gave to my answer, like most small children.
Then, suddenly, I realized I was all grown up, and still wasn’t sure about what I “wanted to be.” Indeed, I still ponder the question, even though I’ve passed my 60th birthday and probably won’t “grow up” much more than I have right now.
I thought about this after watching a TV feature yesterday about treasure hunters who are exploring a $500 million dollar haul they discovered off the coast of Florida. It was amazing to see some of the treasure from this old sunken Spanish ship. It was even more amazing to hear about the man who founded their company: He read a copy of “Treasure Island” when he was a kid and immediately decided he wanted to be a treasure hunter when he grew up.
And he did!
How about you? What do you want to be — remembering that no age is too late to “be” something different if you want it badly enough. A teacher? A pilot? A writer? The world’s greatest video game champ? Mayor of your city?
Whatever your goals are, go for it, I say. Hit the books. Work on a pilot’s license. Get a PS3 or whatever video gaming system you need. Visit the city clerk’s office and get the paperwork to run for mayor.
Just get out there today and make at least one small step toward the goals you really want to accomplish in your life starting right now — even if you’re shooting to be a successful treasure hunter. Get started now.
Hate seeing once busy stores now standing empty
I hate driving through our community and seeing once busy stores, factories, restaurants, or other businesses that are now standing empty. I don’t mean an occasional “coming soon” slot in a shopping mall. I mean those places — probably every city has them — which just can’t seem to keep a business going no matter what.
When my wife, Shirley, and I go to pay our weekly homage to Sam Walton (i.e., we do a weekly shopping trip to our favorite Walmart Super Center), we pass a place that originally was a trendy restaurant. Then it was a coffee shop, then it was I forget what. Now, three years after the original restaurant closed, I see it’s a barbecue rib joint. (To make matters worse, this building sets on the end of the block where there’s an empty Circuit City location.)
But there are other towns with many more closed businesses than ours, so I consider us fortunate. Though many of the jobs in our community are low-paying service jobs, rather than the manufacturers’ factories we used to have, at least there ARE jobs here. So good for us, I guess.
And, even better news for us all, many economists and business people are now starting to think this miserable recession is winding down and things are getting better, little by little.
But I still find it downright depressing to see those once busy stores and restaurants now standing empty.
This one’s for all us Baby Boomers out there. Enjoy …
I could write a long post here about the fun and foibles of growing old. (I always wanted to use that word “foibles” in a sentence!) But I won’t. I’ll let this hilarious video speak for me. Enjoy it while you’re able:
‘Real Subliminal’ products
