When you were 12, what did you think you wanted to me when you grew up, and how did it work out?

[Anonymous]

I think I wanted to be an architect too. I really loved buildings. That hasn't changed, but I decided I didn't have the engineering skills to do anything involving building stuff.

Then i thought about being a doctor, but decided I didn't want to put off a normal family life for as long as it would take to get through med school, residency, etc. Ironically, I am single at 40 and had a baby at 36 - I totally could have done the doctor thing.

Then I considered being a lawyer but decided against it before I went to college. (I"m now in Finance.)

[Anonymous]

I wanted to be a district attorney. I'm a DOJ lawyer, but not in criminal. Honestly, I could not get hired by a DA's office in any city that I wanted to work/live in upon graduation from law school. It was easier to get hired by DOJ.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to be a scientist of some kind because that's what my parents wanted me to become. I am now a librarian.

[Anonymous]

Fashion Model - but I had no idea how to go about doing it being that DC was not exactly the hub of high fashion...not then and not now.

Anyhow, I did a bit of modeling but could not call myself a professional model.

I ended up in various marketing and sales-related positions.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to be a writer. But I also wanted to make a fair amount of money. I came from a pretty troubled and financially very unstable background. I had a successful career (not in writing exactly), and am married to someone very successful, and I now SAH. I have two great book clubs and many interests and financial stability. I would say my life turned out better than I ever imagined. I would like to write more at some point.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to go into business and be in senior management at a Fortune 100 company. My Dad was in middle management at what was then like Apple or Microsoft is today. I'm a lawyer.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to be a psychologist who worked with police depts to help profile criminals. I actually contacted the NYPD and BPD (boston police) to explore this possible option. In college, I realized I hated a lot of the theory and memorization behind psychology because I just wanted to help people. I am now a nurse. Although, I still am obsessed with all the crime shows, especially Criminal Minds, and mystery books.

OP, I went through a wide range of career thoughts growing up (from astronaut to vet to someone who rescued shelter animals and kids in foster care to an archaeologist) and my parents were always encouraging of my dreams. They took my 8 year old butt to the library and helped me find books on astronauts, space, etc. Encourage your kid to explore their interests...even if you have no idea where they come from.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to be an architect, too. I am SO glad we didn't all do it, because there's enough unemployment in the field...

I interned in an arch firm before college and was an assistant to a well-known architect in DC after I dropped out. At the time, the field was even more male-dominated and there were very few women integrating family and high-level work. I didn't want to spec toilets for the rest of my life.

[Anonymous]

Oh I wanted to be an architect too, my dad and I spent the entire father-daughter dance driving around the great areas of dc looking at the beautiful houses (at night you can see in some of them from the road and see how they are decorated)
He also wanted to be an architect, and since we both hated dancing it was such an awesome night-really our only time we ever connected.
I'm a Sahm (but love to look at houses and buildings online

[Anonymous]

I wanted to be a much adored movie or televisions star for the first 15 years of my life. I was great at improv and comedy- but gave it up when I realized the expectation was to learn Shakespeare, excel at modern dance, sing like Bette Midler, and be exceptionally confident. I would have made a good talk show host.

I am a psychotherapist.

[Anonymous]

An actor or a model.

I am neither.

[Anonymous]

At 12-I wanted to be a lawyer. A trial lawyer, because that was the only kind of lawyer I was aware of.

I'm now in environmental policy.

[Anonymous]

I wanted to be a museum curator. I now direct a performing arts non-profit that I founded. Similar I guess.

[Anonymous]

At 12? I wanted to be Captain Kirk. Then I wanted to be Linda McCartney. Then I wanted to be Carole King. Then I wanted to be Angela Davis. Then I wanted to be anyone who Captain Kirk was kissing. Then I wanted to be the girlfriend of my 7th grade math teacher. Then I wanted to be Ali McGraw. Then I wanted to be Katherine Ross in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I was all over the map and it was the late 70s.That was it pretty much it though for 12. Then around 10th grade I wanted to be me. Just me and only me, as anything seemed possible. I ended up being a lawyer. Never seriously contemplated being one until maybe sophomore year in college.

[Anonymous]

You people wanted to be lawyers? At 12? Wow, I can't even believe--what 12 year old has that narrow a focus? My Dad was one and I am one now, but at 12, I had no real understanding of what the hell it was to be a lawyer. He didn't talk about work at all at home. I just was in dreamy fantasyland still at that age.