From the time I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, I knew I wanted to be in a technical field. I earned an EE degree, but my whole career was digital logic design, which doesn't have much relevance to electrical engineering. First computers, then cell phone chips. Very interesting work though, up to the last few years, when the job became 10% design, 90% boring process.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Okay, this sounds stupid, but I always wanted to be a Correctional Officer. I was going to settle for police officer, but a strange twist of fate in the military provided me with the secondary MOS in Corrections. When I got out I went to work for the Bureau of Prisons. I retired 25 years later and now work as an account manager supervising contract corrections officers escorting convicts out for medical treatment. I just love locking people up, I guess.

I work in supply chain. In getting my training certification to teach classes, the instructor was a correctional officer. She explained her job had a lot to do with supply chain. The inventory she managed just happened to be inmates.

Naval Aviator...

Clinton helped dash those dreams (military service).

However, I did work hard, saved money and paid for my own pilot training. I achieved my goal of becoming an aviator I just don't fly the sexy stuff (instead I rent, borrow and steal Cessna 172's to punch holes in the sky).

Starship captain.

After reading 6 Days of the Condor I thought I wanted to read books for the CIA. Strangely, my college roommate's girlfriend did become a CIA analyst after a stint in the Navy.

F 15 pilot.

But my eyesight is terrible.

Astronaut. Found out the best qualification was Navy test pilot.
Most pilots of the sixties flew fighters with an advanced math/aero degree - i was going to fly F-14s!!

I also have bad eyes and couldn't be a Navy pilot.

I wanted to be a explorer/woodsman like Davy Crockett. I loved camping out, hunting, fishing, etc. I tanned hides, trapped, cleaned and cooked my game, but as I got older I figured out that my dream was just that and I moved on. Went to college, got a pharmacy degree. I still loved the outdoors, I hunted, fished, shrimper, gigged frogs, anything to do with the outdoors I really enjoyed, until my arthritis got too bad. I really miss my outdoor adventures, but I had a good time and all good times come to a end sooner or later.

I used to be absolutely nuts about cars, and for many years wanted to be an automotive design engineer. As an engineering student started realizing two things:
1. way more manufacturing engineering jobs in automotive than design engineering.
2. the industry didn't have a promising future.

When I was a kid I wanted to be a forest ranger.

I gave up on that job when I got older and realized it wasn't a real job.

When I got even older and realized it really was a real job, it was pretty much too late.

A Navy pilot and then an astronaut. My word I wanted that bad. My eyes weren't perfect so I went a different path. As I matured I decided I liked fixing things more than operating them. I could care less about how sexy a crew looked out there doing their job, the fact that they got to do it and that piece of gear made it back with said crew intact was enough for me.

I don't care who you are, or what you operate, without a good maintenance team nothing gets done.

"Maintenance IS Training"

So I became a maintenance guy.

Never looked back. But I still love the great unknown. Space flight still makes me feel like a kid. So much out there.

Wanted to be an F-14 pilot of course, but an obscure eye test got me derailed a bit, so I became a F-14 RIO and later flew in FA-18F Super Hornets as a WSO (aka, the Rhino). It was a fun job for the most part. Got out when the flying stopped, been happy doing what I'm doing now.

I gave thoughts to trying to be an Astronaut, but the Space Shuttle seemed kinda 'meh' to me, plus waiting forever to maybe get a flight. Also knowing how hard it was for me to pass a Navy Flight Physical (because of some stuff in my childhood), I knew that I could never pass an astronaut physical.

I would love to win the lottery and pay for a ride up there someday.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Porn star

So, your dream came < snickers > true?

quote:

So, your dream came < snickers > true?

He has a Web Cam too. Just leave your credit card number on his secure site.

I wanted to be a forest ranger or work for the forest service / DNR. I went to my high school guidance counselor and he told me I should forget about that. To difficult to get a job in that field. Like a dumbass I listened to him and graduated HS without any aspirations or goals. What an asshole.

Naval Special Warfare Officer, with a Civil Engineering degree from the USNA.

I didn't get into Annapolis, however I earned a ROTC scholarship to VMI.

And I did very well in my engineering intro classes. However, I flunked calculus. Twice.

When I finally did graduate (a different) college, I had my packet ready for Navy OCS. That same month my now ex-wife told me she was pregnant, and if I went into the navy she was taking the kid and leaving. (Hindsight and all, that should have been a clue).

So I gave up and became a cop. I had already become a paramedic, as my way of paying my own schooling. A few years later I really gave up and got fat.

Meh.

I've always been fascinated with lawnmowers. All types--from small homeowner to large commercial mowers. Would have loved to have been involved with engineering//design of commercial mowers.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Porn star

Just fair warning, the life of a porn star does have its ups and downs....

An Astronaut. Not a shuttle type astronaut. I expected we would have a permanent presence in space or on the moon and I was going to live there.

Actually, if I could be anything realistic right now, I'd be a Lego set designer.

Got shoehorned into being a paramedic, never got to do what I wanted with it. Was stuck in 911 for years. Someday I hope to go to Colorado School of Trades and become a gunsmith. I'm already a Class III, FFL.