Friday, March 8, 2013

My childhood goals for my life

This topic was brought to the LBC by Delirious and I find it fascinating in that my early goals were very clear … and very relevant to my life.  Kind of something a person might not expect.

When I was five years old, I told my folks that I was going to be a scientist in the winter:

einstein_patentoffice

and a Major League Baseball player in the summer:

1927NYYankees5

Well, I did start college as a Physics Major and I taught science on graduation.  Now, I make my living as a computer scientist and I think that isn’t too bad for the first part of my proclamation.

Baseball?  It was always and by far my favorite sport.  I had a talent for it, too, but I doubt you ever heard of my Major League career.

You know how five year-olds exaggerate!

13 comments:

  1. Boy did I love baseball. Wish I'd learned to really pitch - I was a charter member of throwers anonymous - wild enough to strike real fear in the hearts and minds of batters - and very very fast. Guys I played with used to mention J R Richard (pre-stroke). I preferred Don Drysdale - he obviously learned to pitch. Beyond that I never had "career" goals. I think your goals pretty well show the difference between you and me - we're very much alike yet very different. I envy your focus on things. And your patience and tolerance.

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  2. Interesting how disparate our goals were and yet the blog world has brought us together in a common goal to write and share our innermost thoughts!

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  3. A scientist and a Major League Baseball player? Now that takes focus. And ambition. Seems the modern-day world brought you to the science of computers and blogging. Not bad.
    blessings ~ maxi

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  4. You remind me of my son, John. When he received a microscope for his fifth birthday, he announced that now he wouldn't need to use his Fulbright to buy one. Mind you, I was at the University at the time and he was surrounded by college folks scrambling for scholarships.

    Like you, he is a computer scientist now retired from Hewlitt Packard and touring New Zealand for a month before setting off on the Silk Route.

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  5. Hi Everybody. I have Nothing, because I just spent 2 1/2 hrs. getting my driver's license renewed. Two of the three workers left for lunch (1 hr.) with a room full of people. I watched the TV while I paced like a lion in his cage most of the time. Exercise done. Here's something: Three of my 4 kids & husband are physicists. I've never had a physics course. I wanted to marry & have kids. I majored in (excuse the expression) organ.
    bikehikebabe

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  6. @shackman

    Funny! I envy your focus and your fantastic memory. Greener grass syndrome for both of us?

    Anyway, for a smaller guy, I had good velocity, too. But, I think I would have been terrified with you on the mound. Among other things, besides throwing hard, I imagine you strided halfway to the plate in your delivery!

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    1. Nah - I'm only 6'2 - but I had a nifty crossfire action from a stretch that had 'em bailing out big time - LOL. Interestingly enough I also had a pretty fair knuckleball.

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    2. @shackman

      A knuckleball added to feral heat would indeed be terrifying!

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  7. @Rummuser

    I am sure that the fantasies of a child are less goals and more predilections. You instinctively know what you like until the filters are put in place by society. Besides, you know nothing of the work involved in getting there.

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  8. @Maxi

    I don't know if it was focus so much as just figuring that would be cool. When I told my folks, it wasn't that I wanted to be this or that, I just told them this is what I would be. That is how a five year-old sees the world, because nothing has a price yet and, if you have good parents, you have not been discouraged in your dreaming.

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  9. @Maria from Silver Fox

    Funny, because my Dad used to call me "Son John" pretty often, LOL. Sounds like your son has done extremely well and I love his comment about the Fullbright Scholarship!

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  10. @bhb

    Maybe that is what your childhood dreams were, wasting an afternoon at the DMV. No? Yeah, that isn't anybody's dream.

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  11. @bhb

    P.S. Sounds like your education was "organic."

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