Careers you dreamed about doing but were too afraid to try?

[merithyn]

Academia
Reporter
Self-Employment

The above three are the careers that I've most wanted to follow in my life. I'm applying for grad school now, worked as a freelance writer for several years, and will be working for a woman helping her build up her company from a one-woman business to a 15-20 person factory. So I've sort of toyed with all of the careers that I wanted to do.

Oh, and add novelist to the list. I've written a book, but it was crap. I'll be working on another one at Christmas Break, when I have four weeks off from work.

[Eddie Teach]

I'd love to own a restaurant/cafe

Do you need a HOT Latin waiter?

You don't like air conditioning?

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I'd love to own a restaurant/cafe

Do you need a HOT Latin waiter?

You don't like air conditioning?

[Savonarola]

Uncle Sam once offered me the opportunity to get my PhD and then design telecom equipment for the Air Force.  It would have been a cut in pay, and I would have had to move to Dayton, but there are days I wish I had taken him up on the offer.

Still better than Detroit. Dayton's government functions. Sorta.

And Rhine McLin leads the world in silly hat technology; but Dayton would still be low on the list of places I to which I would want to move.

[Caliga]

Do you need a HOT Latin waiter?

I'll bet he does, yes.  Do you know one or something?

[saskganesh]

long story but I got discouraged from being a writer and journo around 1989. mostly because I was in a situation, did not stick up for myself, and just walked away. but by 95 I made the same decision again, actually followed through and in 97 I had a job as a writer and a journo.

novelist and foreign correspondent remain on the dream list.

[Barrister]

Why the fascination with being a writer/journalist? 

Perhaps it's from being the son of a writer (in particular, a sports writer) but it seems that while journalism has its perks, it doesn't pay well, has lots of competition, and depending on who you talk to may be a dying industry.

[Grey Fox]

I want to be a Pilot. I used to lack school notes, now I lack money.

[DGuller]

I always dreamed about being an actuary. 

[Barrister]

I always dreamed about being an actuary. 

I was around 10-12 when I decided I wanted to be a lawyer.

About a year ago I received an email from an old childhood friend of mine, who I hadn't spoken to since the age of 13.  WHen I said I was a lawyer he rpelied "nothing would have surprised me less." 

[Ed Anger]

Why the fascination with being a writer/journalist? 

Perhaps it's from being the son of a writer (in particular, a sports writer) but it seems that while journalism has its perks, it doesn't pay well, has lots of competition, and depending on who you talk to may be a dying industry.

I dream of writing a novel. However, around chapter 5 it falls apart.

Journalists though, are scum.

[CountDeMoney]

Why the fascination with being a writer/journalist? 

Perhaps it's from being the son of a writer (in particular, a sports writer) but it seems that while journalism has its perks, it doesn't pay well, has lots of competition, and depending on who you talk to may be a dying industry.

When I was 8 or 9, I discovered the wonderful world of carbon copying paper, and took it upon myself to start my own newspaper.  I pulled my toy box out into the living room and put it in the corner so I could still watch TV, got all the really cool office supplies my parents would give me from their jobs, made a sign, and created my own News Bureau. 
I spent all Friday evening working on a legal pad, pressing really hard and writing really slow to make as many copies as I could with the carbon paper.  That one page of legal pad had tons of info on it: the state of the dogs, an interview with my 6 year old sister, news about my friends, info about dinner plans that weekend, etc.  It was cool.  I was so damned impressed.
Next morning, I'm all ready with copies of my Saturday Edition.  The whole family was there in the kitchen, and I offered copies of the newspaper for .50 to everyone: Mom, Dad, and Sis.  I was gonna clear $1.50, baby.
My Dad bought one, and said: "Now I can let Mom and your sister borrow it so now they don't have to buy one."

A career in underpaying journalism nipped right there in the fucking bud.

[Ed Anger]

Ow. 

[CountDeMoney]

Ow. 

Yeah, Dad's a real sensitive cat when it comes to dreams.

"Dad, I want to go to Annapolis and be a naval pilot."
"With your grades, you can pilot your navel anywhere you want."

"Dad, I want to go to film school."
"What, so you can refill my iced tea at Friendly's like the rest of the film school grads?"

[Barrister]

I remember my dad once brought home a bunch of mid-80s mock-ups for laying out a newspaper page (this was before computers did everything).  It was a bunch of wire stories, a big newspaper mock-up, and glue and exacto-knives.  That was fun.