Living the Dream

This is my nephew Christopher who is graduating from high school. Yesterday I noticed he’s like, a guy. To me, he’s always been a really cute kid, but to girls his age, I mean, look at him. He’s got a bit of a Prince William thing going on there, don’t you think? Same with my other nephew Greg. All of a sudden not cute kid, but cute GUY.

I only talked to him for two seconds, and I’m so mad. I meant to ask him what he planned to study in college and what he thought he was going to do with his life. (I’m so easily distracted.) Karen, what does he think he will be?

I recently asked people on Echo what their dreams/plans/goals were back when they were 18 and just starting out. Then I added a part 2: what happened to that dream/plan/goal, what changed your mind? (IE, I decided I liked X better, or working in Hollywood wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be.)

I made up my mind to be a writer when I was 9, but I knew that making a living that way was going to be a longshot. As to what I might do in the meantime however, I didn’t have a clue. I only went to college because the alternatives without it were so grim. Picking my major was only a little more planned than picking a number out of a hat. I picked oceanography because I had grown up not far from the water, and had watched a bunch of Jacques Cousteau specials and going to the work out on a boat instead of an office looked like fun.

Then I was introduced to reality. Endless science classes! What the hell? Plus, it was the seventies and I learned that Jacques Cousteau wouldn’t hire women for the fun jobs.

So what does Christopher think his future might look like?