Last spring, I helped in an after school program at a church for a couple afternoons; a fun, crazy experience, and it stretched more than my legs, that's for sure.
One of those times, the "theme" was that we were created specially, to do special things...we all have different talents and abilities, and we need to use them as fully as possible. Or, as I'm fond of saying, "Use your powers for good, and not evil..." (Little superhero way of looking at it...)
At the end of the day, each little group gathered up in a little "campfire circle" to journal and talk about the lesson of the day. One of the questions we were to put out there for the kids was that age old "What do you want to be when you grow up?" It was interesting to hear what the kids from a small rural town had to say. They don't dream too big. Modest little ambitions. Very attainable ideas for their happily-ever-afters. Most of them wanted to be ranchers, parents, teachers, etc. One wanted to be a rodeo clown, and I'm pretty sure he'll have a celebrated career as such...he's got all the bravado and flexibility needed! The circle finally got around to me and I said, "I want to make beach glass jewelry and sell it to tourists on an island, when I grow up."
There was stunned silence, as you might imagine.
They didn't want to hurt my feelings, but a few obvious things needed to be pointed out...
A very serious little girl finally, gently, said, "But you're already grown up. And you don't live on an island."
Well, yeah...that's true.
But I've got a lot more growing up to do and that's what I explained to them. And just because you're born and raised on the edge of nowhere doesn't mean you're always and forever tied there.
They processed that for a little while, then their discussion took a turn for the glorious...
Freed from having to give realistic, safe answers, all of a sudden they had GRAND ideas! A firefighter with a petstore, a missionary, a race car driver...I think we even had a mermaid, although it was getting silly by then.
We're all still growing up.
We will be until we die, in my point of view!
What do YOU want to be, when you grow up?
Mermaids and rodeo clowns, welcome!
8 comments:
I want to live in a small town in the middle of nowhere with a whole bunch of sled dogs,some goats, and lots of yarn.
Well, I just have to tell this one! One time the special ed. teacher at Rankin Elem. asked this kid (who was from a very, well, lets just say disfunctional family, with a live in boyfriend "dad" who was on disability) the very question you asked these little ones. The little boy thought for a minute, and then said he wanted to be disabled when he grew up. I mean, what could be better--get a check every month and sit around the TV doing nada! Looked pretty good to him.
I want to be a Grandma -- a really nice one, with cookies in the kitchen, soft hands for patting little ones, shiny silver hair, endless creativity when it comes to thinking up games to play with discarded items like boxes and plastic milk jugs. Oh, and the wisdom to know the perfect thing to say at the right time. Actually, if the others didn't work out, I would settle for just that last thing. :)
That's precious. :)
When I grow up, I want to buy your beach glass jewelry on an island. ;)
Sounds good to me! Linda will admire your plan as well.
I love this post.
I'll come hang out at the beach with you and help you sell the jewelry...I'll probably tweet about it and blog the adventures.
We'd have adventures.
Did I mention I love this post?
I want to be more fun. Well, that and rich. Once that's all taken care of, I'm thinking of becoming a nomad. For a while.
I was GOING to tell you what I want to be when I grow up, but by the time you get around to working on this blog again, I'll already BE grown up and then you could just find out for yourself. No posts in like 16 days and counting...what gives, Farmer's Wife??
We commenters feel like we are just sitting here talking to ourselves in an empty room... :)
To prime the pump, I submit for your review some Crazy Mary questions...stuff I--and all your faithful readers--have been dying to know...
1. What is the next song you will buy for your MP3/IPod/whatever you have?
2. If you could have any of the spaceships on the Star Wars movies, which would you pick?
3. What is your least favorite chore?
4. What is your favorite soup?
5. What is your favorite drinking game?
6. What is the oldest piece of clothing that you own but have never worn?
7. What's your earlist memory?
8. I just heard Aretha Franklin's song "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" on the radio. What makes YOU feel most like a natural woman?
9. Using no external references whatsoever, what's the longest one-syllable word you can think of?
10. What's your favorite T-shirt slogan?
And hurry up already!!!
Signed--
The Original and Still The Best Anonymous
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