What do you want to be when you grow up?

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

For a younger child, that's a fun question because you get to hear their imagination run wild and you hear about things that are interesting to them. I remember when I was a young kid thinking that I wanted to be an astronaut, which I still think would be cool if you didn't have to worry about all the science and math stuff. You know, all the stuff that real astronauts have to do. My other thought was that I would love to be an actor on TV. 

What do you want to be when you grow up is an interesting question for a teenager, as well. Usually that person has had time to consider it in a more realistic way than when they were a child. 

Many times, a person's choice of career is informed by their own experiences. For example, if a parent is employed in a certain industry, the chances are much higher that they will be drawn to the same or similar jobs. My parents were teachers and I ended up in a field where I do a lot of educating, both as a pastor and as a substitute. I have friends whose parents were in the military who ended up going into the military, and so on. It's not a guarantee, but I think the familiarity with their parent's job can be a strong influencing factor.

For those who are in the middle of their vocational career or have retired, a good question to help you get to know someone better is "What did you want to be? And why?" Or maybe, "If you weren't doing what you are doing right now, what would you like to do?" What if money weren't an issue? What would you do? 

For me, if I weren't doing what I do now (which I love), I still think I might pursue acting. 

Maybe I could play an astronaut.