As children, our imaginations were limitless. We dreamt big, fuelled by storybooks, cartoons, school lessons and the fascinating adults around us. We declared boldly to anyone who cared to ask: “When I grow up, I want to be…” But somewhere between playground dreams and adult responsibilities, reality stepped in, and many of us took a different path.
Some of us wanted to be doctors after watching medical dramas or admiring the white coats in hospitals. We pictured ourselves saving lives daily. Fast forward, and we now save files on a computer rather than patients in an emergency room.
Others imagined becoming pilots, soaring across the skies and collecting passport stamps from around the globe. Instead, we found ourselves navigating spreadsheets, budgets, and office politics, hardly the same as steering a plane.
A few were sure they’d become teachers, chalk in hand, inspiring the next generation. Today, we might still teach, but our classrooms are meeting rooms, our pupils are colleagues, and the lessons are about quarterly targets.
There were also those who dreamt of being famous like actors, singers, or football stars. We rehearsed endlessly, using hairbrushes as microphones or the living room as a stage. Now, our audience is an online meeting platform, and our big performances involve presentations and project pitches.
Life’s detours don’t necessarily mean failure. They often lead us to careers we never imagined but have grown to enjoy. Still, it’s fun to look back at our childhood ambitions, smile at our innocence, and realise that while the job title may have changed, some part of those dreams still lives within us.
After all, even if you never became a pilot, you might still be the captain of your journey.