My earliest aspirations were simply to be the center of attention. That worked out pretty well for me, as I was the cutest first grandchild on either side of the family. I'm very well aware this didn't line up with my desire to be a big sister - having two brothers on the scene meant I would have to share the stage, but they were worth it. And, since I've blogged wanting to be a big sister several times, I thought I'd share some other goals I had growing up.
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| Photos courtesy of my mom. I can't pick my favorite! |
Magan arrived just 18 months into my time in the spotlight, and I decided I just wanted to be her best friend.
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| A real live baby doll, just for me! |
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| I think I could have passed as an Olympic skiier with those duds. Also, approximately 90% of my childhood pictures include Magan. |
When I was in Mrs. Abello's Kindergarden Class, we filmed our Kindergarden Video, and one of the questions they asked was what we wanted to be when we grew up. My favorite answer was from my a classmate who said he wanted to be a first grader (I think he's one of the few who stuck with that goal for a whole year). I don't remember what my answer was, but considering social media wasn't a thing back then and I think marketing would have sounded silly to a 5-year-old, I know I didn't stick with it. My mom and I are trying to remember what the video said. I'll update if we can remember.
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| Around Kindergarden age. Also, I think at this age, we just wanted to jump on the trampoline and eat grilled cheeses forever. I also happen to remember a few years later we both wanted braces and glasses so we could be cool. We both got that wish granted. |
Around that same time, I decided I wanted to be just like my cousins Christie and Katie, so I started showing sheep. My favorite picture of Little Shae showing sheep (say that 5 times fast) is of me in my gymnastics leotard, showing Princess and Pazarra. I can't find that one on Facebook, though, so instead, I'll post a super not flattering picture of me "listening" to Katie's instructions. Hint: I probably wasn't listening.
Around the time of this next picture, I wanted to be a doctor. My bio for the Miss Tuttle/Miss Northern District/Miss Grady County pageants even said I was going to major in biochemistry and molecular biology at OSU and go on to med school after I graduated. I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist or an ER doctor, if I recall correctly. Well, I worked at a doctor's office one summer during high school and QUICKLY realized that human blood grosses me out and there was no way I could cut it as a doctor.
Since I decided I couldn't be a human doctor, I determined would be a veterinarian. I had been helping deliver sheep at Showtime Club Lambs since before the sheep showing picture up there, so I figured I could handle that. Well, all that changed one day my senior year when I got to help with a particularly gross birth (I'll spare you all the details, you're welcome).
I took Mrs. Reedy's College Writing class during high school and discovered I loved writing. She wrote an encouraging note on one of my papers that started me thinking about "being a writer" when I grew up - of course, I didn't really know what that entailed, but it sounded good. After meeting Dr. Shelly Sitton when I was enrolling for college, I knew I had picked the perfect major - agricultural communications - and couldn't wait to start college!
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| Our "Senior Service" at church just before high school graduation |
Ag comm is a pretty broad degree, so I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do, but I loved what I was studying. During my second internship at Riverwind Casino, I discovered a love for social media and decided I wanted to "do social media" for the casino. I loved my degree but wanted some more mainstream marketing knowledge, so I took a bunch of marketing classes and a few advertising classes. After a lot of research and a third internship, I graduated college and went to work in the marketing department at Riverwind, as the Social Media Specialist.
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| College graduation |
After two years at the casino, I applied to work at my favorite nonprofit, which is where I am currently working. What started out as managing social media and website has now added graphic design, and I get to be creative all day every day while fighting hunger in Oklahoma. Cool, right?
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| One of my favorite days on the job: when I met Desmond Mason! |
But really, what I want to be when I grow up isn't defined by a job title. Now, I just want to be like these ladies:
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| My Grandma Nett, Grandma Vickie, Mom and Aunt Kandi |
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| My Mom, Grandma Sparks and Grandma Nett |
When people say "you're so much like your mom," I smile and say thank you. Because I want to be a great wife, daughter, mentor and friend. I want to be a kind person - the kind of person other people know truly cares. And above all, I want to be like Jesus. I want to share His love, grace and faithfulness with all who I encounter. So thank you for always pointing to Jesus. Because when I grow up, I want to be just like you.
Aw, I really love this post. I want to be like my mom as well. But, as a child I wanted to be a psychologist. My minor was in psychology so I'm not too far off. ;)
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