I was raised in a family in which my parents always said, “You can be whatever you want when you grow up.”
Do I need to mention that the statement had stipulations? Yes. I think I do.
For instance, when I first started my freshman year of college, I was placed in a higher-level English course. This may come as a surprise to you, but I like words. Period. As a result of feeling smart, I wanted to focus my college career around all those fun sentences and clauses and whatever else I’ve forgotten is important in the English language. Upon my declaration, my mother’s first question was, “What are you going to do with an English degree?”
Looking back, maybe there was the possibility that my mother was seriously inquiring what an English degree would accomplish. Maybe she had always wanted to study our language of arts and wanted to live vicariously through me. Maybe.
After that particular conversation, I officially declared Undecided with the school counselor.
A while later, I was enthralled with my entry level Philosophy course. So much so, that I told my father that this knew subject was going to become my life’s work. Can you guess his response? I won’t make you wait. “Philosophy? How will you earn money?”
Maybe my dad questioned my love for Thinking in hopes that my young nineteen-year-old mind would create a business plan and make that Philosophy degree’s return on investment a higher ratio than, let’s say, someone who sat on a mountain top and—thought.
Hmmm. Someone might take these responses as a dead end, but not me. Nope.
I’m a bit older than nineteen (no jokes, please) and have found a new career path to follow. I feel as though I deserve a Nobel Prize…for doing something, which until last night I wasn’t sure what to study to be smart to get a great award. But after watching the Science Channel, I have everything worked out perfectly. To my parents, I would like to mention that yes, mom and dad, I can be whatever I want and I have a plan to do it, including making money.
The University of Chicago has had nearly one hundred Nobel Prize winners, which means that there is a higher percentage of earning the Great Award if I attend. It’s a simple train ride away and a mere $60,000+ a year. No problem. I’ll take out a student loan and pay it all back with the Nobel Prize money I earn. But how will I win my trophy?
Hmmm…Astrophysics it is!
Yes. I will study astrophysicism (because as an English major for two days, I know I can change words and add them to my new Dictionary, that I will fund with my Nobel Prize money). Up until yesterday, I wasn’t quite sure what the astro portion of astrophysics referred to, but luckily, The Science Channel changed everything. Astro, not the Jetson’s dog, has something to do with space and the universe and big balls of gas that explode or implode, all while trying to avoid black worms that have holes and can eat matter or they matter because they’re important.
You might ask how I might get into the Astrophysics program. I have a plan for that too. With having over 300 credit hours, some in communication (another major for a semester), I can persuade the school with my haughty language skills and my ability to adapt to any situation. Really, it is a talent and I’m quite humbled by it. And because I have the capability to learn quickly, I plan to finish my thesis with publication and exceed all of Hawking’s theories within one year. Oh, my goodness. This is really going to be great.
I can’t wait to prove my parents’ right…because, yes, I can do anything when I grow up.
let’s say, someone who sat on a mountain top and—thought…love this line! Our parents had so much in common except mine never said, “you can be anything you want”…they just said, just make sure you get a job and make sure a benefit is insurance Xo