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Home > All Opinion > When I Grow Up

When I Grow Up This piece has been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.

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By Sara D., Wyckoff, NJ
In kindergarten, my class was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Crayons danced across sheets of ­paper to illustrate our dream occupations. Our drawings were hung in the hallway for our
Photo credit: Molly F., Mclaren Flat, Australia
parents to see at Back to School Night. I remember looking down the line and seeing pictures of ballerinas dancing, firefighters putting out a blaze, and astronauts leaping across the moon – careers that were seen as typical dreams of five-year-olds.

My picture showed a stick figure with brown hair holding a carton of orange juice over a large rectangle that was supposed to be a counter. Underneath was my barely legible handwriting: “When I grow up, I want to work at the Market Basket because it would be fun to swipe orange juice across the scanner.” To this day my parents won’t let me forget that out of everything I could have aspired to be, my five-year-old self wished to work at the local grocery store.

When we are young, questions of what we want to be when we grow up are common. Yet we are not expected to respond with an answer that is likely to come true. However, when we become teens, we are asked the very same question twice as often. The difference is, now we are supposed to ­answer with confidence.

Teens are expected to know exactly what we want to be and how we are going to achieve that goal. Not all of us can be so sure. Even though I am in high school, I ­cannot answer convincingly. But I don’t ­consider that a bad thing. How am I supposed to know what I will want to spend my time doing at age 40?

When I think about the future, I definitely don’t see myself working at the Market ­Basket, but in reality, if that was what would make me happy, I would do it. So, the next time someone asks me what I want to be when I grow up, I will simply say “happy.”

Happiness is a destination for everyone. We may want to walk different paths in life, but we all want to be happy wherever we end up. Choose your path, but don’t worry too much about choosing wisely. Make a ­mistake or two and try new things. But ­always remember, if you’re not happy, you’re not at the end of your journey yet.
This piece has been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.This piece has also been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.

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This article has 45 comments. Post your own!

emjay1216 said...
Nov. 6 at 2:52 pm:

im crying now, ok? that was beautifully written. i want to be a juvenille defense attorney. but i never thought about just being happy.
thanks so much. i needed that

 
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Kristen H. said...
Aug. 18 at 4:16 pm:

Actually, I just figured out what i want to be - an electrical engineer. Here I come, NASA!

 
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hannah=(= said...
Aug. 2 at 2:14 am:

There are just so many cool jobs out there. I can't pick only one to do for the rest of my life.

 
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MangoMadness said...
Jul. 31 at 7:59 pm:

I'm the opposite, sorta. When I was in preschool, up until about 4th grade, I had no clue what to be. I liked animals, so peole told me I should be a vet. But I had this thing about cutting up animals, or anything that helped them because it made me sad. I didn't know about as many jobs then as now. In fourth grade, when I started trying to write a kid story, I decided I wanted to be an author. I haven't changed my mind, but I've had ideas for others things I could do as well. Thank... (more »)

 
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MszRAiNDROPsz said...
Jul. 24 at 2:55 am:

i srsly dont knw wht i wnt to be either, nd ppl just expect u to knw frm an early age. this is so true

 
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CSHLo said...
Jul. 23 at 8:09 pm:

I love the line:
"Happiness is a destination for everyone"

Well written.

 
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His-Bright-Green-Eyes... said...
Jul. 21 at 8:19 pm:

excelent!!

 
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Casey L. said...
Jul. 20 at 3:30 pm:

Nice job!
This is something we can all relate to :-)

 
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Ikutorocks12 said...
Jul. 6 at 6:57 pm:

This is very good, and interesting. Right now someone I know is applying to university, so it got me thinking on my 'dream job'. But to be honest I have absolutely no idea! School is putting so much pressure on at the moment, and so I think focusing on being happy seems to be the best bet.

 
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individualJess said...
Jun. 23 at 8:28 pm:

I seemed to have read this at the perfect time, since grade 4 i have been certain of what i wanted to be when I grow up, however now i find myself questioning it, aswell as what I want out of life. i now totally agree with you. achieving happiness should be our offivial goal.I am filled with peace and confidence at the prospect of my future

 
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Mona S. said...
Jun. 22 at 6:13 pm:

I LIKE IT:) IT IS COOL!

 
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Valkyrie_123 said...
Jun. 22 at 6:53 am:

this is so good!!!!

 
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brookiemonsterx said...
Jun. 13 at 3:08 am:

I completely agree. Excellent!

 
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Wise_Idiot said...
Jun. 10 at 1:17 am:

I agree.

By the way, there are these neat Self Checkout thingies at Wal-Mart, and you can swipe your own stuff. I've spent hours there. :D

 
fandangopink replied...
Oct. 12 at 8:26 pm :

Haha... I know! They're everywhere now. I feel like a true professional. = D

 
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xXkittygrrxX said...
Jun. 8 at 6:58 pm:

Only the future can tell when u get their u get their opioions so change

 
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chas said...
Jun. 6 at 2:14 am:

i think you are right that opinions and what we want to be when we grow up change a lot. i also think that it is important to chose a carrer that we will be happy doing. my dad teases about the degree of the day, a syndrom college kids have. keep writing, keep thinking, keep going. bye

 
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*peace* said...
May 30 at 3:49 am:

I agree with this. I don't think we will even know what we want to do when we grow up and are out on our own. Life is about taking a journey and finding your happiness, and when we find it I believe we are in the right place.

 
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Ryan M. said...
May 29 at 10:37 pm:

This was GREAT

 
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Olivea said...
May 26 at 10:16 pm:

Sara I agree compleatly. Yes we are older than we were, but in two years from now we will be older still, and two years from then, and two years from then... we will always be changing. How is a person supposed to make one choice and have it define the rest of their lives- we all make mistakes! All I really want is to be happy.

 
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Alyssa J. said...
May 17 at 8:04 pm:

I COMPLETELY AGREE! Its hard for me to go to school for fear of teachers pressuring about colleges daily. I want to be able to be a teenager without thinking about how I'm going to live my life as an adult. I'm glad I'm not alone :)

 
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DinosoarJen said...
May 17 at 4:28 pm:

I agree.
Happiness is key.

 
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Jaynellzfosho said...
May 8 at 1:54 pm:

I love this!
"Teens are expected to know exactly what we want to be and how we are going to achieve that goal. Not all of us can be so sure. Even though I am in high school, I ­cannot answer convincingly. But I don’t ­consider that a bad thing. How am I supposed to know what I will want to spend my time doing at age 40?"

I just did a poem/story of what I was planning to do when I get older in my writer's workshop class, and I couldn't think of what I re... (more »)

 
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PolitiansR4theGood14932 said...
May 7 at 9:39 pm:

I completely agree

 
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oswaldaJane said...
May 5 at 9:16 pm:

This article is so true!Now that I'm a in 10 grade,people consantly ask this question.However when I say I don't know it is alawys a shock. Nice to see someone understand!

 
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Redsoxrule12 said...
May 3 at 12:11 pm:

Oh my Gosh! that was so amazing! the points you brought out were true and inspirational!

 
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Kaylee_big_sis_of_3 said...
May 3 at 1:35 am:

This is so inspiring and I totally agree with you. Keep writing!!!!

 
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andrea said...
May 1 at 10:44 pm:

Great for you Sara,this is a wonderful thing you wrote,is good to know that HAPPINESS,is where we will find more success in life..love to see you in a blog

 
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Meghan said...
May 1 at 1:18 am:

I agree. There is a lot of pressure but some of us know hat we want to do until we are 50! I know I want to be a lawyer. I think the real question is how are we going to get to where we want to be?

 
Lostinbooks replied...
Oct. 30 at 11:21 pm :

Yes! It's like, you kind of know what you want to do, but how? Goals seem so far away.

 
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Sarah-Lou said...
May 1 at 12:44 am:

Well done! I think you're right; we shouldn't be pressured into making a decision so young. You never know how different you may feel in the future and you don't want to make a bad choice. To pick a career, you have to think carefully about every aspect of the job, where you are in life now, and where you want to be, then its all up to you to make your dream of "happiness" come true. I think you nicely illustrated this: nice article.

 
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MimiRocks96 said...
May 1 at 12:30 am:

I really like ur story and it is very intresting i love ur ideas!!

 
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sarafan2 said...
Apr. 30 at 11:14 pm:

wow sara, this is so amazing! you completely encompass how i've been feeling for awhile now. your words inspire me.. actually, when i grow up.. i think i wanna be you.

 
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angiegirl said...
Apr. 30 at 4:55 pm:

Hi,its amazing to see a young girl to see life in such a wat,i have teenagers at home and makesme proud to see that young teens can be so tougtful.Good luck with whatever you chosse to do in life,be happy.

 
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peepeeface(: said...
Apr. 30 at 1:30 pm:

hey, i think this is very VERY good !

 
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peepeeface(: said...
Apr. 30 at 1:29 pm:

haha, i wanted to be the same thing too

 
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GunterPee said...
Apr. 30 at 1:07 pm:

This is so wonderful, and true. I've always felt the same way, just never knew how to put it in words. Thanks! props to you my friend :)
P.S. I think you might have a future in writting!

 
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Aunt D said...
Apr. 30 at 11:21 am:

Now here is a young woman who knows what is important. "Be Happy" and your life path will always feel right.

 
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Corine Fisher said...
Apr. 30 at 3:39 am:

wow what a talented writer... im in a similar situation ..my best friend is in between two colleges one will make her happy and the other will make her successful. I wish she would read this and make the right choice and be happy

 
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beddastella2@aim.com said...
Apr. 29 at 10:37 pm:

i agree :) nice story!!!!

 
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kika said...
Apr. 29 at 4:26 am:

o.m.g. this is so true, I'm barley a freshman and I getting a lot of pressure on what to decide to be.

 
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sandra L. said...
Apr. 28 at 3:32 pm:

The way you put it is just....cant be explained
the pressure we sustain is trmendous
and its nice to see someone realizes that
its nicee to know what you want to be
but you can never really ever be sure until you have knowledge of all the others out there

 
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Evynn A. said...
Apr. 27 at 7:31 pm:

That is good! I agree people expected us Teens be like that. Everyone just adds pressures to our lifes!

 
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Jenna C. said...
Apr. 27 at 9:37 pm:

My English teacher (who first showed me this site) once said that teens should'nt have to know what they want to do because some grown-ups have'nt even figured that out yet.
Great job, 5 stars.

 
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LaTisha P. said...
Apr. 26 at 4:33 am:

wow...this is so amazing. I hope you don't mind if I repeat a few of your words to my friends.
I want to be a lot of things and all of my options are things that do make me happy.
So you are completely right.
If writing makes you happy you should do that because you are honestly good at it. The thing is that this isn't like some kind of complicated article, it's simple. I want to be happy when I grow up...the simplest,easiest and most honest answer.

 
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