When I Grow Up
Figuring out what you want to be when you grow up is no small feat. If you were to take a peek into my childhood journals you would find a wide variety of career options. After a trip to Sea World I just KNEW I was destined to be a dolphin trainer. If you look in my high school yearbook under my Salutatorian picture you would find something similar to this:
“Madison plans to attend the University of Alabama in Birmingham to pursue a degree in Dermatology”.
I changed my tune on that one when I was a sophomore in junior college. Today I realize I really just wanted to be an esthetician so I could do more of the fun stuff. I can’t do blood and guts, but I do enjoy watching someone get dead skin shaved off their face.
Pretty quickly after that I had to take a chemistry class that was required for my Biomedical Sciences degree and after sitting through the second day, walked myself straight to my advisor’s office and switched to general studies. I don’t think I even told my parents until I had already done it. After that, I started looking into other things I would be interested in. I noticed that The University of Alabama had an Apparel & Textiles program. I have to be honest here and say I wasn’t seeking out a program like this. It was more panic-searching other options since I knew I was set to transfer the next fall and felt like I needed a plan. I wrestled with what to do for a few days but eventually came back to Apparel & Textiles every time. It’s what made me the most excited and while I don’t know if that’s the best way to navigate choosing what your college degree will be, it’s what I did.
Fast forward a few years, it’s my little brother’s senior year of high school and my senior year at UA. We were looking through some bins of our old school projects and photos for my brother’s yearbook. I found one of those old black and white composition notebooks of mine from the 3rd grade, Mrs. Tharp’s class, that we had to write in every day. Every entry was an answer to a question and there were quite a few gems in there. I recounted some eventful sleepovers, talked about how my brother got on my nerves, and even explained what I thought love meant. This one definitely caught my eye:
“What would you like to be when you grow up?”
My answer:
“What would I like to be when I grow up…a disiner because I love to sow. But I love clothes.”
Despite my poor spelling and messy handwriting, it felt like a full circle moment. I probably wrote that after watching lots of “That’s So Raven” and convincing my MeMe to make me a Lizzie McGuire inspired outfit or a new wardrobe for my Barbies.
When I finally decided to tackle making my workroom a little more enjoyable to be in, I remembered that journal entry. I knew that I wanted to frame it and put it somewhere I would see it every day. I often see it and try to imagine what 3rd grade Madison envisioned when she wrote it. I don’t remember but I imagine she would be proud of 25 year old Madison chasing her crazy little dream.
