There was an article in the paper last week about what local people who had achieved some elevated position in their field had wanted to be when they grew up; it came from a campaign by the NSPCC which aims to free children from abuse so they can dream of a brighter future. There was a survey of what people had wanted to be when they grew up:
- doctor/nurse/health carer
- footballer
- teacher
- writer/journalist
- police officer
- train driver
- actor
- zoo keeper
- pop star
- astronaut
In our local paper a variety of people were interviewed and asked what they had hoped to be:
- a football club manager had always wanted to be a professional footballer – his dream came true!
- the college principal wanted to be a steam engine driver and a wrestler
- the deputy leader of the council wanted to be a pilot, and has followed a career in aviation
- the managing director of a cider farm grew up on a farm and always wanted to be a farmer, and now is a farmer and cider maker
- the local member of parliament wanted to be a vet
- another MP wanted to be a pilot, and then in the navy
- the owner of the Grand Pier wanted to be a lawyer and she achieved it
- the town centre manager wanted to be a policeman, and went in as a management trainee, before moving into other management rôles
One of my ambitions was to swim the Channel and I did go on to do some very long competitive swims, but only in a swimming pool or the river; I also wanted to climb Mount Everest, inspired I think by one of my earliest news memories, the conquest of Everest by Tensing and Hillary… I was given a book about it with stunning photos of the struggle to the summit… however, I soon out grew that ambition!
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer, it’s what I have always wanted to do. As I came to the age to leave school, and with not much help in terms of career guidance, and seeing that it was so difficult to get into journalism, I decided I wanted to join the police. However, it was suggested to me that I would be better going in as a graduate entrant and that I should do a degree first. I tried to get into journalism college, but failed so went to do a degree.
By the time I had finished my degree I had moved on from that idea, discouraged by the fact that in those days police women were not treated equally to male officers. I left the Polytechnic, not sure what I wanted to do; once again career guidance was virtually non-existent. I applied for several jobs on newspapers, at the BBC, as an abstractor for various companies… and in the end went into the Civil Service. I lasted there for about nine months then the office job I had, drove me almost to distraction and i left to work at Manchester Airport on the information desk. I loved working there, really loved it; but the job I had would never progress to anything different – and it wasn’t so much as increasing salary, or looking for promotion, as being in a job where there would be the opportunity to change and do different things…
… and so I returned to college and against all my former ambitions, I became a teacher. English was my subject, and I taught it as a second language, and then to young people educated out of the normal school system. I did enjoy my teaching, but was not as passionate about it as others because in my heart I still wanted to be a writer.
All through my working life I have written, but it is only now that I am free that I have at last done what I wanted to do when I was grown up, become a writer!
If you want to read what I have published on Kindle follow this link:
If you are interested in the NSPCC campaign ‘childhood should be a time we’re free to dream’, here is a link:
Lois Elsden 