Childhood dreams rediscovered
What did you dream of being, or doing, when you were a child?
Of course, you may have been like Ralph Wiggum and planned to be a caterpillar, but I’m sure you had some dreams that seemed possible as a child.
As a little girl, I devoured Lorna Hill’s Sadler's Wells books and dreamed of ballet classes and becoming a dancer.
Of course, I also read a lot of stories about ponies and wanted one of them too, until I experienced riding a horse, aged around 11, and discovered not only was it uncomfortable, but horses were liable to bite.
After I hit my teenage years, dreams of dance classes evaporated, as I struggled, with normal adolescent ineptitude, to get across the room without tripping over. Not much of a challenge you would think, and yet it was.
So I grew up and moved on, taking up sports that didn’t require any coordination beyond my limited ability. I took a few ballroom dance classes and enjoyed them but always had a faint sadness for the missed opportunity to own a pair of ballet shoes. Not so much the leotard. I still have no desire to attempt to wrestle my way into one of those.
However, as readers of this blog know, it wasn’t an opportunity lost, as I found adult beginner ballet classes last winter and have now been going to class for a year.
It has given me numerous chances to embarrass myself in a multitude of ways and helped me discover muscles I didn’t know existed, usually when they’re being stretched in directions they’d prefer not to be. (Though I still can’t reach the barre and am relegated to the wobbly piano in the corner. Curse you, lack of flexibility!)
Despite my balletic ineptitude, I love the classes. I spent the first term of lessons suppressing a desire to burst into tears, struggling with almost every step. But I’ve never been a quitter, and I’d be damned if it was going to beat me.
After class last night I received an unexpected boost, with the teacher telling me my coordination had vastly improved. Apparently once I gain a little more confidence in my own ability, I’ll be set. This my take a little longer – when one’s limbs have let you down as often as mine by going in the wrong direction, it takes some time to believe they know what they are doing.
Anyway, I think it’s the silver lining in my injury-plagued year. If I had been able to train for Ironman it would have become all-consuming as a matter of necessity so I would have been forced to give up ballet. Yay for silver linings.
So, any childhood dreams you’ve managed to fulfil? Or any that you still nurse a faint hope that you’ll get a chance to carry out?
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I'm so glad you found your silver lining :D
About the only thing I can recall wanting to be when I grew up was a pilot, but was informed very early on by some nice careers person that because I am shortsighted, that wasn't going to happen. Way to kill a kids dreams.
I now settle for piloting a low flying race car until I figure out what I'll do when I grow up.
The minor detail that I'm only planning on growing old and not growing up does mean that it's not so much of an issue. :-)
I wanted to be an astronomer, and begged my folks for a telescope. I finally got one but it could only see as far as the neighbourhood backyards/lounges/bedrooms etc. Luckily I didn't become a pervert. And the c**p telescope shattered my astronomer dream (nothing to do with the fact that I'm actually not that bright) and led to yet another thing to blame my parents for......
I always wanted to learn to play the piano but wasn't allowed cause Mum hated learning when she was a child. Last year I bought myself a full sized electronic piano and have had about 6 months worth of lessons - I am average at best, but loving every minute of it
Wanted to be a pilot as a career, but discovered at 16 it was never going to happen for medical reasons. No other ambition has even come close. I get frustrated with those inspirational 'you can be anything you want to be if you dream/believe/work hard enough' types on occasion, since it just isn't true for everyone.
I wanted to be a fire fighter, a chef, an architect, a builder, a business owner, a professional cricket player, a sports coach, a landscaper, etc.
But as it turns out I'm stuck in a crappy office job I don't like.
Funny how life turns out huh?
I've always wanted to work with animals but decided long ago that I wasn't cut out to be a vet. I'm still working on it - I am contemplating doing Vet nursing instead.
I did ballet when I was younger - from ages 8-14 and even now at 21, I still remember many steps and have retained the good posture and a little of the grace it gave me. And I'm more pleased to say I can still turn my feet out in fifth position and now fall on my face :D
When I was a kid in Wellington we didn't have an ice rink but there was a roller skating rink in Naenae, then Petone, and that was all I wanted to do. Due to my coach quitting and the next nearest one being too far away in Paraparam, I never even made it to Wanganui though (Nationals - yes there are real roller skating competitions). Far too old now. Hi anyone who remembers Valley Roller Rink or Skatezone and the amazing Des Carr.
Hrm at various points in time I wanted to be an olympic horse rider, a cop, a model, a lawyer, a mad scientist and a superhero..
alas none of those things have happened.. although some are a bit closer than others. I still wouldn't mind being a mad scientist but I guess I will have to leave that to my brother who is doing his PHD in chemistry.
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I wanted to be a traffic cop, so I could give my dad speeding tickets. Nothing came of that as I'm far too blind to be in the police, and the traffic cops were disbanded many a year ago.
I did also want to be a race car driver. So I did achieve that, albeit as an expensive hobby rather than a paying job.