Possibilities

I envy people who knew from a young age that they wanted to be a doctor, or a teacher, or an architect. I've never had that kind of focus. I've always said along with Harriet the Spy (one of my childhood heroes), "I want to know everything, EVERYTHING." My ideal career changed every month or so. Unfortunately, I still feel and think that way.

Here are a few of my careers/fields of interest, some old, some new:

Writer. This blog exists because I want to, have to write. No need to elaborate. :)

Other Book-Related Careers: Librarian. This is a no-brainer, right? I would be an excellent librarian. If libraries weren't downsizing and closing nationwide, I'd be on my way to getting an MLS right now. Same problem with the publishing industry. Or journalism. Or owning a bookstore (part of me still wants to be Kathleen Kelly). A wise friend of mine often says that although things change, they always change to something, so you just need to determine what that is. Time to learn more about e-books. :\

Meteorologist. As a kid, I could happily watch The Weather Channel for hours. I read endless books about hurricanes and tornadoes. In college I had a vague plan to major in meteorology and then enroll in a grad program at Mississippi State or OU. Unfortunately, the day I went to declare, I was told that the meteorology major no longer existed and they just hadn't taken it out of the catalog yet. *facepalm* It was a blessing in disguise because I had forgotten one crucial thing: I have no math skills whatsoever. So I reconciled myself to being a big fan of weather. I have a home weather station in my backyard, make a sport of talking back to the storm team during tornado season, follow a bunch of weather celebs on Twitter, and attend storm spotting classes. It's a good time to be a weather nerd.

Exercise instructor. I love exercise, most of the time. I love dance and choreography. I love finding the perfect energizing song. And nowadays, a lot of instructors don't even talk much – they just gesture, and everyone figures it out. When I did Zumba regularly in 2006 (before it was popular – exercise hipster alert!), I seriously considered getting certified to teach it, but some people didn't think I had the right personality. Of course I also love yoga, and my yoga teacher of four years has actually suggested I sub for her sometime! So we'll see. However, I know I can't make a career out of exercise instruction, unless I someday have the luxury of being the secondary household income.

Professional organizer. This is so interesting to me and uses all my Monica Geller cleanliness tendencies to great advantage. You get to organize stuff and help people in a tangible way (sometimes including a little armchair psychology). What's not to love? I've researched professional organizing, taken a one-day class, and even thought about joining NAPO. But starting my own organizing business would consume all of my free time, so it's another idea on the shelf for someday.

Counselor. My own wonderful counselor came to the field later in life, and I've considered it. But I think I'm too empathetic to be an effective counselor. My patients would end up comforting me. LOL!

What do you still want to be when you grow up?