Just like her dad, my youngest (just turned nine) is keeping her career options open. This is something she wrote two weeks ago at school:
When I’m older I’d like to…
be a surgeon, a librarian, a florist, Prime Minister, an artist, a teacher, a pianist, an art teacher, a piano teacher or a scientist.
She then had to choose two and write about them.
First, I would like to be a surgeon because I don’t know what people’s insides look like and I don’t get queasy at the thought.
Which, I guess, is as good a reason as any. At least she’s honest about it; and this ties in with her final career choice, to be a scientist. I haven’t had the heart to tell her that surgeons don’t actually find out how people work: they simply put them back together after scientists have taken them apart try to mend any broken bits. A noble calling, certainly, but I do wonder what Sophie will want to do after she’s found out what a spleen looks like. And all the other interesting bits (cook them, possibly).
Then, she said that she wanted to be a librarian because she likes reading.
I’ll never be short of books there!
From what I know of Sophie that, actually, does sound like Paradise.
I tell Gees Minor and Gee Minima that I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.
That’s obvious.
Richard, did you tell her that she’ll have to learn what people’s insides look like before they’ll let her be a surgeon?..
Well, that’s news to me!
Richard – dismayed to learn that you have plans to grow up. But good luck anyway!
The spleen drawing isn’t far off, actually. Mouse spleens are much more convincing as proper organs, IMO.
I guess the intestine is a cross-section. Just dig those Crypts of Lieberkuhn!
I was going to blog about this, but on Radio 4 at the weekend, Shami Chakrabarti said “When I grow up I want to be Joan Bakewell”. That’s my aim too.
I do hope that’s two tick-marks out of two she’s garnered. And such lovely penmanship!
When I grow up I want to be Joan Bakewell
The cake reference not being entirely fortuitous then, eh, Scott?
“When I grow up I want to be famous” mohaaa… that’s the same as being infamous right?! 😉
My list, as a 6 yrs old, ranged from Nobel prize winner (chemistry or math) to librarian (same reason, all the books in the world) and actress, with a small thought on politician (get to rule the world!) and doctor (MD, mend them all). Then I met the microbes who don’t talk back and only needs a bit of media to be happy. Lucky them.
I now look back at the list and wonder where I will end up in the end…
When I grow up I want to be Joan Bakewell
And I thought Bakewell was this
Stephen, I read something the other day about how it was a shame that ‘growing up’ has become synonymous with loss of wonder and joy and all sorts of other ‘childlike’ characteristics. Which is probably a very grownup thing to say, but don’t worry that it will happen to me.
Henry, who knows? But isn’t that the point? Kristi, having seen your sketches, how about I send Sophie over to learn from you?
I think, Jenny that two tick marks are as good as it gets. I am very proud of her as you can probably tell.
At least she has eight backup plans for when surgeon or librarian don’t work out! I especially love this progression: “an artist, a teacher, a pianist, an art teacher, a piano teacher”. But no science teacher?
no, odd that. Possibly because she knows/believes that scientists teach as part of their job—although yes, it’s slightly odd she isn’t thinking about it in the context of a school.
I read something the other day about how it was a shame that ‘growing up’ has become synonymous with loss of wonder and joy and all sorts of other ‘childlike’ characteristics
Well, exactly. I mean to say, duh. When I was small I wanted to be a writer, and a zoologist. I became both. In which case, what is there to live for?
In your case, Henry…
no, sorry. Happy Christmas. xxxx
how about I send Sophie over to learn from you?
No problem! Teaching children drawing, painting, sculpture, and fiber arts probably would have been a good alternative career choice for me. If the US economy ever improves enough for me to retire before I drop dead in the traces, then I could teach art to children as a volunteer, every day.
It’s a shame that arts programs always suffer, or disappear entirely, when school budgets are cut. I probably feel the same way about the visual arts as an empowering or expressive outlet (especially for children), as others do about writing or music or sports.
It is a shame, Kristi. As a hardcore scientist my agreement might be a surprise, but it’s the flip side of my argument about importance. Science is as important as Art, and vice versa.
When I was in the seventh grade (about 13 years old) I was voted ‘most likely to become a scientist’ (out of a class of about 500). That’s all I ever wanted to be, ever. It was only recently that the focus started to waver.
Do you think there’s a difference between ‘be’ and ‘do’?
I can’t resist – sorry.
NIETZSCHE: To be is to do.
DESCARTES: To do is to be.
SINATRA: do be do be do be do.
Henry> haha! Lovely.
Richard> yes, I do. 😉
You don’t have to be to do… but some people who do are… and they might be …ehh… ‘better’? different? The word calling comes to mind…
[off to leave work to go home and celebrate the Sweish jul on the 24th. wohoooo]
Science is as important as Art, and vice versa
I strongly agree, Richard, and whenever I forget the “vice versa”, in the microcosmic context of my own life, I become unhappy. “Artist” was my top career choice as a child, before the prospects of marine biologist or wildlife biologist appeared on the horizon. Along with a childhood friend (at whose house I will have Christmas dinner tomorrow, here in Houston), I took drawing lessons from a professional artist, once a week for several years throughout early adolescence. I have never forgotten the things that I learned (which is certainly not true for most of my school lessons), and I apply them in my artwork all the time. I remember feeling very grown-up and empowered by those drawing lessons, and meeting other professional artists who displayed their work at our teacher’s studio. It’s sad to me that children whose parents can’t afford private art lessons may miss out on such opportunities, when arts programs are eliminated from schools. It’s equally sad to me that children miss out on opportunities to learn about science and nature, because of budget cuts.
Åsa, the word is ‘vocation’. You should ask
TiddlesIan about it.Richard> yes, that would be it too 😉
Has Sophie ever seen a dissection? Or a slpeen/parts from animals? Personally I find it fun with childrens’ reactions to things like this and listen to their comments. Especially if they are still in the “curious phase” rather than “yuack, who would ever want to do that” (also known as “I am not more aware about people around me”). It’s very good for yourself and the explanation part too – very hard sometimes 😉
I called the girls over while I gutted a fish once. I asked them to touch the innards while I did it… I think Sophie closed her eyes and turned her head but did it anyway.
She’s brave!
I remember the first time my father gutted a fish in front of me and I got the heart and could put it in some water and…. wow, it started to beat again. [he had to explain why since I declared I couldn’t eat something that looked alive etc]
It’s not really the same though, the fish/crayfish dissections imho. I still feel nauseas thinking about that fall when we did crayfish dissection in biology course 101 [eyes and stuff under the microscope] and then a few days later have the annual crayfish party… all of a sudden it wasn’t as tasty 😉
The dissection of mammals (especially cow and pig) was really interesting since their organs look so much more like ours. Then again, maybe wait a few years?
I had a very good physiology prof. We did the old glucose absorption thingy and needed some mouse intestines to turn inside out. Before we started, he proclaimed: “Everyone who is planning on pursuing physiology in their career, step up now and learn how to kill the animals properly”.
I quickly scuffled to the back of the room. I can do blood and gore and dissections, but I’m no good at killing – even the small stuff (worms, crustaceans, etc.), of which I’ve had to kill plenty (splashes of formalin, anyone?).
I think she deserved 12/12.
Heh, well spotted Stephen. Enough with this base ten nonsense.