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3catwoman3

(27,771 posts)

15. I didn't realize until a few years ago what my dream job...

Wed Sep 24, 2025, 10:45 AM

Wednesday

...would have been, had I realized that such a job exists. What a blast it would be to design toys for kittens and puppies, and then watch them play to see which ones they like. I can't imagine ever having a bad day at work if that were your job.

Born in 1951, when the usual choices for girls were nurse, teacher, and secretary. My mother and her mother were both nurses. I always liked science and animals, and started college as a biology major thinking I might like to study animal behavior. Switched to nursing, and had a largely happy career as a pediatric nurse practitioner from 1976-2021. Didn't care for in-hospital bedside nursing - not enough independence.

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As a kid, what was your dream job going to be? Mine was to be a nurse. [View all] debm55 Wednesday OP

Dream job vishnura Wednesday #1

I found that being a nurse was not for me. I became a teacher and taught El Ed for 42 years. Loved it. Thank you,vishura debm55 Wednesday #2

All I ever wanted to be was an artist because I wasn't good at anything else. Diamond_Dog Wednesday #3

Thank you very much Diamond_Dog. It's a shame the computer industry took over the career that you were so talented in. debm55 Wednesday #10

Ah, we *might* have had a quik convo sometime here w a few others re ?graphic design, p/u & m.... electric_blue68 Wednesday #71

Yes! It was a job I enjoyed Diamond_Dog Wednesday #86

Ah, yeah, your comnercial printing work sounds familiar. 👍 electric_blue68 Wednesday #90

Oh yeah! We had an arc light camera. Diamond_Dog Wednesday #99

Wow That arc light stuff definitely "Science Fictiony"! 😄 electric_blue68 Wednesday #101

True! Diamond_Dog Wednesday #102

Forester Onthefly Wednesday #4

Thank you very much, You are an angel for the work you have done for others. Bless you.Onthefly. debm55 Wednesday #7

Appreciated. So many great people providing assistance and legal support for people with disabilities. Onthefly Wednesday #43

TY to you, and others! electric_blue68 Wednesday #72

Play 2nd base for the White Sox CanonRay Wednesday #5

Hahahaha. Thank you CanonRay. What did you do instead? debm55 Wednesday #6

Federal law enforcement CanonRay Wednesday #55

Thank you, CanonRay. debm55 Wednesday #56

Was an amateur magician as a kid ..... anciano Wednesday #8

Thank you very much, anciano. You had talent as a magician. I am happy you found marriage and the service and your debm55 Wednesday #12

That's great! After I left the Commercial Art world, some of my office work wa sooo boring.... Luckily, I... electric_blue68 Wednesday #73

Ballet dancer oberle Wednesday #9

HAHAHHHAH. thank you very much, oberle. That is funny. debm55 Wednesday #13

I was going to be one of the Supremes. Or the Beatles or the Monkees. ms liberty Wednesday #11

HAHHAHA. Weren't we all. Thank you very much, ms liberty. debm55 Wednesday #14

I didn't realize until a few years ago what my dream job... 3catwoman3 Wednesday #15

Thank you very much, 3catwoman3. You did have a great dream job as a nurse. The pet toy designer sounds wonderful. but debm55 Wednesday #16

Getting into the NP role saved the nursing profession for me. I really did not like my first nursing job, so much so... 3catwoman3 Wednesday #20

Thank you very much, 3catwoman3. My husband had the same problem, but he couldn't get higher then a C in Genetics. He debm55 Wednesday #26

What a fantastic dream job that would have been. So you were an ?independent nurse, loke a private visiting nurse?.... electric_blue68 Wednesday #75

No - I worked in various outpatient pediatric settings both in the Air Force... 3catwoman3 Wednesday #106

Got it! Interesting, way more independence. And extra conferring, if needed. electric_blue68 Wednesday #108

One thing that I always wanted my physician colleagues to check with me... 3catwoman3 Wednesday #110

Wow! Superpower hearing! Good on you, and for the double check. 👍 electric_blue68 Wednesday #111

This message was self-deleted by its author electric_blue68 Wednesday #76

Veterinarian ballet dancer BlueWaveNeverEnd Wednesday #17

Thank you BlueWaveNeverEnd. That sounds like a really wonderful dream job. debm55 Wednesday #18

A national forest ranger who lived in a fire lookout tower. defacto7 Wednesday #19

Thank you very much , defacto7. What a wonderful dream job. debm55 Wednesday #22

There's a DU member, whose name I can't recall at the moment, PoindexterOglethorpe 12 hrs ago #154

I remember his post but I can;t remember his name. debm55 3 hrs ago #156

I wanted to be a dancer on Broadway!! Nittersing Wednesday #21

What great two dream jobs to pick from. I loved Modern Dance, But teaching horseback riding lessons would be wonderful. debm55 Wednesday #36

Astronaut Deep State Witch Wednesday #23

Thank you very much, Deep State Witch. You would have made an excellent astronaut. debm55 Wednesday #37

Probably Not Deep State Witch Wednesday #47

"Fear of heights"! Uh,oh! electric_blue68 Wednesday #85

Ohhh, boy. Same thing happened to a friend in Texas .. electric_blue68 Wednesday #80

School teacher. LoisB Wednesday #24

Thank you very much, LoisB for sharing with us. debm55 Wednesday #31

I always wanted to be being a teacher. MIButterfly Wednesday #25

Wow, what a great post.I congratulate you on going back to school to become a paralegal. Thank you, MIButterfly. debm55 Wednesday #28

Good on you for changing electric_blue68 Wednesday #88

A pirate. Ocelot II Wednesday #27

HAHHAHAHAHHAHA. Thank you very much, Ocelot II. That's funny. debm55 Wednesday #29

I wanted to play professional basketball. I ended up an accountant for 50 years. OLDMDDEM Wednesday #30

Thank you very much, OLDMDDEM for sharing with us. I hope you continued to play basketball in your spare time. debm55 Wednesday #39

I did until I found out about heart issues. OLDMDDEM Wednesday #41

A cowboy. FuzzyRabbit Wednesday #32

Thank you very much FuzzyRabbit. One can dream, my friend. debm55 Wednesday #40

I wanted to be a nurse, too! pandr32 Wednesday #33

Thank you pandr32. I made it through a year at college in Nursing and realized that I couldn't do it. So I became a debm55 Wednesday #42

Lots of body fluids... 3catwoman3 Wednesday #107

As a girl I knew I was squeamish and so had to change my goal. pandr32 Thursday #125

Thank you, pandr32. I am squeamish too. Had no relatives that went to college, so I found out the hard way. debm55 Thursday #126

Happy. DUU Wednesday #34

Thank you so much for your words of wisdom, DUU. debm55 Wednesday #44

Sounds like you had enough varied interests to be able to switch up electric_blue68 Wednesday #91

scientist DBoon Wednesday #35

Thank you so much for sharing with us, DBoon. debm55 Wednesday #45

Lawyer then marine biologists who did research. lark Wednesday #38

Thank you for sharing, lark. It is best to consider your health. debm55 Wednesday #46

Good on you for being able to switch electric_blue68 Wednesday #87

Star Pilot ✈ justaprogressive Wednesday #48

Thank you very much, justaprogressive. debm55 Wednesday #51

Oceanographer like Jacques Cousteau or an astronomer. Phoenix61 Wednesday #49

Thank you, Phoenix61, two wonderful dream jobs. debm55 Wednesday #50

Staff photographer for a daily newspaper Walleye Wednesday #52

GREAT!!!!!!!, Thank you very much, Walleye. debm55 Wednesday #57

Dream job MoonlightHillFarm Wednesday #53

Thank you , MoonlightHillFarm. But it was a wonderful dream, wasn't it? debm55 Wednesday #58

Thinking about becoming a dictator... 3825-87867 Wednesday #54

HAHHHAHAHAHHAHh, you are funny but truthful. Thank you 3825-87867 debm55 Wednesday #59

I was obsessed with radios and computers as a kid so everyone just assumed I'd be an engineer... hunter Wednesday #60

Congratulations to you hunter and to your wife. You did reach your dream job. Just not in the order you thought you debm55 Wednesday #67

Wanted To Be A Scientist Starting In 4th Grade ProfessorGAC Wednesday #61

Congratulations. ProfessorGAC. You reached your dream. debm55 Wednesday #68

Wanted to do lots of different jobs. multigraincracker Wednesday #62

Thank you very much, multigraincracker.You lived your dreams. debm55 Wednesday #65

An illustrator.....unfortunately I only did it off & on in B&W... electric_blue68 Wednesday #63

Thank you , electric_blue68, Yes, the best art is the art you do at home --without deadlines and free to do as you debm55 Wednesday #64

Thanks. Ah, those deadlines! electric_blue68 Wednesday #66

Good luck on your paintings. It's a great way to relax. I know that you will do beautiful work. debm55 Wednesday #69

TY. Hopefully over time I'll get pretty good. Then I'll show you. Also renewing my b&w drawing. It'll be a while, tho electric_blue68 Wednesday #70

You CAN do it. I know you can. debm55 Wednesday #78

TY electric_blue68 Wednesday #84

My parents were artists with day jobs. hunter Wednesday #93

Oh, I hear that about those kind of students! How wonderful to have 2 artist parents... electric_blue68 Wednesday #100

That wood block technique is interesting. hunter Wednesday #104

Thank you very much, That is sound advice from your parents. debm55 14 hrs ago #151

I was going to be a vet malaise Wednesday #74

Same here, malaise. I wanted to go into a job that would help the sick, poor, animals and children. A nurse was always debm55 Wednesday #77

Hey, that's understandable! electric_blue68 Wednesday #92

Loved animals all my life malaise Wednesday #95

Loved animals all my life malaise Wednesday #96

Loved animals all my life malaise Wednesday #97

My mother told me that at 3 I wanted to be a cow. Not a cowboy, a cow. rsdsharp Wednesday #79

LOL! 3catwoman3 Wednesday #109

HAHAHHA. Thank you rsdsharp. debm55 Thursday #122

I loved working on the fish farm. bullimiami Wednesday #81

Thank you very much, bullimiami. You made a huge leap from fish farm to recording studio. debm55 Thursday #121

Foreign correspondent - intrigue, excitement, men. 😇 Polly Hennessey Wednesday #82

HAHAHAHAHHAHA. That's funny. Thank you very much, Polly Hennessey. debm55 Thursday #120

Entomologist markie Wednesday #83

Great dream job, Thank you very much for sharing, markie. debm55 Thursday #119

Hermit Easterncedar Wednesday #89

HAHAHAHHAHAH. Thank you very much, Easterncedar. debm55 Thursday #118

I am getting closer to realizing my dream all the time Easterncedar Thursday #123

I know what you mean. debm55 Thursday #124

I wanted to be an airline stewardess. MiKenMi33 Wednesday #94

Wow. Thank you very much, MiKenMi33. You had many dream jobs. debm55 Thursday #117

Lighthouse keeper, or the guy in the caboose. Harker Wednesday #98

Thank you very much, Harker, My grandfather was the guy in the caboose. You and your wife enjoy yourselves today, debm55 Thursday #116

WHen I as about 5 or 6, I wanted to be LogDog75 Wednesday #103

What an interesting dream job, Thank you LogDog75. debm55 Thursday #115

Large animal veterinarian. sinkingfeeling Wednesday #105

Thank you very much, sinkingfeeling. What an interesting dream job. debm55 Thursday #114

Astronaut LudwigPastorius Wednesday #112

Thank you very much, LudwigPastorius. That would have been a terrific dream job. debm55 Thursday #113

I wanted to care for animals in some way. TommieMommy Thursday #127

Me too, TommieMommie. I wanted to be a vet. But did't think I had the courage for it. I did volunteer work at an no kill debm55 Thursday #128

A teacher because of summers off, but then I realized I didn't like kids all that much. catbyte Thursday #129

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAH. That's funny. Thank you cabyte. PS, Did you write you salary in also? debm55 Thursday #131

To win a big lottery jackpot and not have to work WestMichRad Thursday #130

Thank you so much, WestMichRad. I am so glad everything worked out for you. debm55 Thursday #132

Newspaper reporter like Lois Lane in Superman Wicked Blue Thursday #133

Great!!!!!, Thank you very much for sharing with us. Should we call you Lois Lane?????? debm55 Thursday #134

An elevator operator PikaBlue Thursday #135

I remember the elevator operators. I too was in awe of their job as a child. Thank you PikaBlue. debm55 Thursday #136

Author and artist. Rizen Thursday #137

Congratulations, Rizen, I wish you all good vibes debm55 Thursday #139

Thanks, you too! Rizen 16 hrs ago #149

A teacher MustLoveBeagles Thursday #138

Thank you very much MustLoveBeagles, Did you reach your dream job? debm55 Thursday #140

No MustLoveBeagles 18 hrs ago #145

For a while I wanted to be a meteorologist. Then I think I wanted to be a pilot. FireUpChips10 Thursday #141

Thank you very much, FireUpChips10 debm55 Yesterday #143

Dream Job?? retread Yesterday #142

Yes,, work, career , job debm55 Yesterday #144

Movie star. CTyankee 16 hrs ago #146

Beautiful and talented actresses. Thank you CTyankee. debm55 16 hrs ago #147

As a small child, I wanted to be a policeman. OldBaldy1701E 16 hrs ago #148

Great, I am happy for you, OldBaldy1701E, Thank you. debm55 14 hrs ago #150

Either astronaut or the next Mel Blanc Pinback 14 hrs ago #152

Great choices, Pinback, but your back choice was the choices you made on your journey in life. debm55 49 min ago #161

Professional Hobo The Madcap 13 hrs ago #153

HAHAHAHAHHAHA, Thank you very much, The Madcap. debm55 52 min ago #160

Airline stewardess. Which is a clue as to my age, PoindexterOglethorpe 11 hrs ago #155

HAHAHAHAHa, Thank you very much, PoindexterOglethorpe. I know what your mean. debm55 56 min ago #159

I had 2: a book editor or a prosecutor. Luciferous 2 hrs ago #157

Thank you very much, Luciferous, Both great choices. debm55 58 min ago #158