My 5th Grade Dreams: What I Wanted to Be When I Grew Up

Today here on the WBKR morning show, Angel and I asked, "What would your occupation be if you followed your childhood dreams?"  When Angel mentioned that question to me earlier this week, I immediately thought of this assignment we had in Mrs. Valdez's class back at Thruston Elementary.  It was called "Wings for My Flight" and we were challenged to write about our dream job.  What did we want to be when we grew up?  As you can see from assignment, I just couldn't make up my mind.  If I followed my childhood dreams, I would have about twenty jobs.  Read this!

I knew my mother still had this assigment.  I called her Tuesday and asked her to look for it.  The funny thing is- I described it to her perfectly.  I said, "I feel like I handwrote it on regular paper, but maybe mounted it to a piece of black construction paper?"  NAILED IT!

I am rolling reading over this.  It is so insanely "Chad," it's unbelievable.

For the record, I am still fascinated by magic, but literally have no desire to learn how to do it.  I still love to sing and dance and routinely do it. I mean, hello?  My YouTube versions of "The Evolution of Dance" and "Single Ladies" are friggin' epic.

I actually LOVE to travel, but HATE to drive.  I have endless respect for drivers who live their lives working over the road.  I literally can't imagine that.  I don't even like driving to work and I live literally five minutes from the station.  (Also, can we get a moment of silence for how I spelled "hemroids"??  Since we're on that subject, let's start a prayer chain for how I butchered the word "kindegarden" too.)

In fourth grade, I wanted to be an actor.  I am still obsessed with theatre (ya'll know I go to NYC All. The. Time.). However, I don't remember this jank version of The Wizard of Oz I apparently produced, staged and starred in.

And I think it's hilarious that in the 5th grade I had completely made up my unchangeable mind to be a cook and own a fancy restaurant.  Well, I spent enough time working in a restaurant during college that any childhood dream would have been obliterated by the reality of working at the Old Spaghetti Factory.  Thanks, but no thanks.

I do also find it hilarious that little Chad ended up calling it like Ms. Cleo.  I concluded "Wings for My Flight" with this- "I'll probably end up doing something I've never thought about."  That's exactly what happened.  I never dreamed or desired a career in radio, but here I am.  And I absolutely love it.  I am nearing the start of my 23rd year here at WBKR.  In so many ways, it seems like I started yesterday.  In those same ways, it seems like yesterday I was mapping out my life dreams in a classroom.

It's fun looking back on that assignment from Ms. Valdez.  There is so much of me in that little boy at Thruston Elementary.  He was certainly in there, wasn't he.  All he really needed were wings for his flight.