My real job as a teen was a summer gig selling food in the stands at what then was the home of the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals).

I did have loftier ambitions and these were seriously 5 jobs/professions that I considered as the ultimate jobs at one point during my youth.

Working with a Travelling Carnival: Seriously, how could not be the best job. You get to go around from town to town and watch people having fun all day long. I never considered that I would have to help put up the rides (or noticed that many workers seemed to be missing a finger or two) or that sleeping accommodations were spartan. Before you judge me, we had no Playstation or XBox back then.

Astronaut:  Maybe it is because Star Trek reruns played every Sunday morning and it was the choice of watching that or “gospel” related programming.  No matter, if James Kirk could actually be a captain of a starship, so could I.  Traveling into the darkness of space and exploring appealed to me.  Those damn high school physics classes doomed me.

Superhero: I honestly thought as a small child anyone could be a superhero. All you need was a cape. Later on, while watching The Incredibles I learned the true dangers of a cape. To prove how easy it was to fly (in kindergarten), I wrapped a blanket around my neck and leaped off a classroom table. I landed forehead first and likely concussed myself. (This was the 70s and we are a whole generation of undiagnosed concussed kids). I came home with a goose egg welt on my forehead. Not all of us are lucky enough to be bitten by a radioactive spider.

Sports Announcer: Much of my spare time as a child was spent either in the basement or backyard of my home, playing make-believe sports. I would run around the basement (in pre-mini stick days) playing hockey or football or baseball. When warm weather arrived I would do the same outside. I did this all by myself with play-by-play.  I would conduct interviews with my sports persona after the games ended.  Becoming a sports announcer seemed super easy.  I would as I got older even pretend to be two announcers talking to each other. Each had a different voice. (There was no market for cartoon voices then) I was my own color commentator.  This dream faded when I realized real sports announcers cannot say whatever they really want to.

Snow removal Operator: This may be a Canadian thing. Growing up I got totally psyched whenever the snow removal plows came on my street. I would sit by the window for hours waiting for them to pass. I actually assembled my Tonka trucks and used cotton balls to pretend to remove snow. I really wanted to be the guy who drove the snowblower. My poor dad went to every toy store in our area looking for a toy snowblower. None existed. Know your market Tonka. Know your market!

Mark