When we’re younger, we’re always asked the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Clearly when an older person asks a kid this, they expect to hear the child say something innocent and adorable like “I wanna be a princess, Daddy,” or “I want to be Michelle Obama!” But, little do these kids know, and how could they know, this question is pretty freaking scary, and it’s way more loaded than they think. Although this question is terrifying, it is the fuel that keeps our society evolving and growing because most to all humans end up eventually becoming something at some point of their lives to contribute to the world.
But, seriously, what if the kid doesn’t know what they want to be? Whenever, I was asked this question, I immediately thought of my top three career choices: Vet, actress, or fashion designer. I loved animals, movies and clothing more than anything for awhile, but once I began to get those B minuses and Cs when school got tough, I slowly began to have doubts and thought “Oh, well I have a cat at home, that’s as close as I’ll get to being a vet...and I like theater, but I’m not talented enough to get an agent...and I’m not the best sewer anyway…” Essentially, through school, my dreams began to slowly fade and my new, constructed, realistic dreams became a reality. Now, as a sophomore in college, I aim for more steady jobs that will make me successful, and wealthy.
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Now, don’t for a second think I’m bashing school and all it has to offer or that I’ve completely let go of my fanciful future endeavors. Getting an education is absolutely essential, and in order to even get a job, having a proper education is the key to success. What I am saying is this: we must remember to let kids dream. Obviously no one means harm when they ask their child or any child this ultimate, daunting and intimidating question, however, this question lingers with every kid throughout their education. Becoming “something” is what we do to survive, to thrive and to be happy.
Recently I watched a Netflix stop-motion animated film called The Little Prince directed by Mark Osborne. This beautiful movie is based off of the timeless book written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in 1943. Essentially the movie is about an eight-year-old girl raised into a society of black and white alongside her rigid mother. She is expected to get into this challenging school where the first question they asked her was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” expecting her to reply “I want to be essential.” She then spends her summer with overwhelming and impossible expectations to get into this college-preparatory school, but along the way, she befriends a strange and whimsical neighbor: an old adventurer, building a plane in his backyard. He added a splash of color in her life, and reminded the young girl that love is enduring and growing up needn’t mean shredding her dreams.
Dreaming to be something unrealistic and silly isn’t a crime and, it isn’t to be discouraged. When we are educated as young people, the ultimate goal at the end of the day is to get a job that will make lots of money or impress others; this isn’t the case with all, but it is with most. However, if you are reading this article, I want to encourage you all to think “What makes me truly happy?” or “If I could become something that contributes to the world and makes me happy, what would that be?” Every day when I go to school and realize that my expectations are out there waiting for me to complete them, I still try and imagine my younger self, sitting and playing with dolls dreaming of becoming a vet, an actress or a fashion designer because do not know where our futures may take us, and we must always remember to dream.
