I think my first career aspiration was to work at Disneyworld. I wanted to be one of those costumed characters that walks around sweating profusely while signing autographs for spoiled children. It’s a good thing I grew out of that one. I also recall the dream of being a zookeeper. Really, though, what kid didn’t want to be a zookeeper? As a child I innately adored animals, and my mom shared all her fun stories with me about her college zookeeping days at John Ball. Plus, the exotic zoo animals seemed way cooler than the cows on the farm. It sounded like the perfect gig. It wasn’t long, however, that I realized zookeepers made zero money and that it was uncannily congruent to farm work (I knew I did NOT want to be a farmer). My mom also finally shared that her friend at John Ball was killed by a Jaguar that had escaped into the feeding area. I decided to opt out. Lori Jo, I believe we are in the same boat here.
Fast forwarding, it was somewhere between roller coaster engineer, professional trampolinist, starving artist, and architect that I decided to pursue a degree in photography. I can’t remember exactly why I chose to do this for the rest of my life, and I do have mixed feelings about it. I suppose sometimes I feel anxious that there are so many interesting opportunities out there that I should have pursued, that I should be equipped with many more skills (like nun-chucking skills). But alas, I am young and I have a long time to figure things out. It’s crazy to think of where life takes you.
Ummm, yeah. You’re young and have lots of time to figure things out… and try all sort of different things! I was absolutely certain I was going to be an art teacher my whole life. I LOVED my job and never wanted to leave – and gosh darn it, I was good at it. But the Lord had different plans for me and to tell you the truth, now I have so many things I want to do when I “grow up” that I can hardly keep track of them all!
Nice post, Ben.
I was going to be a professional watermelon seed spitter, an ice cream flavor namer, a car designer, an author, a music publicist, a history teacher, a clarinetist for the Disney orchestra…
For myself, sometimes I still feel like college went by in a flash and I’m sitting here saying, “wait, what? Really, I picked photography? When did that happen?” I’d always liked photography and all I could do at the time was choose a major whose classes I enjoyed. Check! I couldn’t process the larger question of career or anything like that. I’m still glad I majored in photo, but since school ended I have felt my brain slowly recovering and re-opening to all of the other interests I have/had besides photography, now viewed through the filter of being educated
and yeah- it’s exciting to take everything learned so far and think forward! 
Miss you guys.
Laura I liked your post a lot too. You’re such a good writer!