What was your dream? (page 2)

buffy

My dream was and still is to be a country singer. But, my whole life as a JW was nothing but, "don't think like that, think like this" and "you can't go to college, you will work and pioneer." I would have loved to go to college for music and business management and then been able to promote myself. I know I would've made it, hell, even just singing in bars or a lounge would have made me happy. But, these days my biggest audience is my son and my husband. Occasionally, maybe a kareoke bar. But, other then that I still have it in my head that I can't be what I want to be. I keep hearing my mom inside my head. She's saying, "you won't make it, what do you think, that you'll actually be somebody." Those words tear me up. She actually came to kareoke w/ me one night before I was df'd, that was the first and only time she ever heard me sing. Her words, "you sounded great, but, you don't come out here hopin to be discovered, right? Cuz, you know you'll never be a singer." Great support, right???

Incense_and_Peppermints

go for it buffy!!!

Robdar

Buffy,

You obviously have talent; so, why have you accepted your mother's opinions as your own? Do you secretly believe her? It is up to you to prove to yourself that your mother was wrong.

C'mon Buffy, show the world your stuff. Country music radio stations are waiting to play your first top 10 hit. You can do it. Yes, you can.

Love,

Robyn

LDH

I've always wanted to be a Trauma Doctor.

I've had to settle for finishing my LVN so I can get my RN in 18 months. Then, perhaps my ten year goal is to be a RNP (Registered Nurse Practitioner.)

The 'Truth' really fucked up my career path. I was telling "Amazing" Jim about the meeting my parents had with my high school guidance counselor when I was a junior. That is right around the time you start planning your college choice, funding etc. My parents told him in no uncertain terms that the end of the 'system of things' would be here and gone before I could even finish my four year degree, much less the 8-10 to be a full fledged doctor.

Therefore, I would be spending my youth in the most valuable work of all time, ~~selling worthless religious rags for a multi-million dollar publishing company.~~ preaching about God's New Order.

I wonder if they ever see him around town and remember telling him that, 17 years ago.

C'est la vie.

Lisa

terafera

I always wanted to act...from birth, it's the only thing I wanted to do. I would put on plays for family, neighbors...anyone that watched. My family was pretty dysfunctional..I would act like my mom, yelling at the kids, then be my dad, staggering and hiccupping from being drunk. It's wierd, but everyone would die in hysterics..it kinda broke the tension and everyone said I was a perfect mimic.

When I was 7, I would write stories, draw pics to go with it and staple together a book. I would walk door to door (the jws taught me well lol) and sell my books for .10. I would also pick flowers from my moms garden and sell bunches in my wagon. So I guess I had a nack for business and marketing....

I've never lost my dream to act or perform, it just doesnt seem like something I can chase right now. I have enrolled in the community theatre though...it really helps in getting the 'bug' outta my system. I also have to take a theatre class in college next semester so that will be cool.

Actually, I did audition for a role as host to a dance show here in Anchorage...it was called Club 98 and was like BandStand. I hosted the show with another guy for 1 year until it was taken off the air. That was back when I was trying to be a good jw, the elders told me that I shouldnt try to be in the spotlight, and that the music scene glorified an unclean life. I hope that wasnt my 15 minutes of fame!!!

dustrabbit

Ashi:
I did live out my childhood dream to go to China...okay, it wasn't quite the way I wanted it to happen. but it did.

as for being a writer, i can tell you that came after I left the JWs and went to college, where my intro to literature professor showed me that i had a gift. now, i take my time doing it...true, writing takes eons sometimes...and it's not like posting here. (here, i can ignore my typos)

if need be, ashi...write short stories. they may be harder to do than a novel, but if you're good , they're great for time-restricted people.

maybe, if y'all want I can post on this board a story i had in a college literature magazine back in 1999.

take care,
the dustrabbit

Francois

Prisca, and other wannabe writers:

I wanted to be a writer and I am. I've made my living as a writer for nearly thirty years and I've written lots of different kinds of stuff: television news, newspaper writing & photography, speeches, technical writing of all kinds, advertising, white papers, scripts, and on and on like that.

Now that I'm in a position to do so, I'm gonna attempt a book. And it's really true: there's nothing quite so terrifying as a blank sheet of paper and the knowledge you're to fill it up with stuff that people are supposed to read and enjoy.

But then, I ignored the JW attempts to keep me outta college.

You still want to be a writer? Write up some feature kinda stuff and submit it in good form to the editor of your local paper. If it's good it will get published. Then do it again. Don't wait for them to come to you. I tried this with an alternative paper in Atlanta some years ago, and my story about JWs and their shunning policy was published on the cover and I was accepted as an assignment writer for the paper. I still write the occasional piece for them. Go for it. If I can help you in any way, just let me know.

Francois

Edited by - Francois on 18 June 2002 6:52:1

avengers

They screwed up my career, pensionplan, marriage and family. So don't get mey riled up and angry again.

ashitaka

I really have nothing to add, but I'm surprised at how many writers are among us. I was very curious to see who had similar dreams. Lisa's aspiration is one of the ones I expected to be hampered....in the medical field.

I read all of the responses. Thanks for the convo, guys.

ashi

Amazing

Being a JW did not entirely stop me, but did hold me back from greater success. Since the time I was 5 years of age, I wanted to be in a field of engineering, mostly architectural. I ended up becoming an electrical engineer, and eventually worked in research and destructive test engineering.

When opportunity was made available to me, I was advised against it by fellow JW Elders. I was working for Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco, CA at the time (late 1980s). They are the A/E/ Firm that builds nuclear plants, airports, light rail, deep sea oil rigs, and hydro-electric dams. Bechtel offered me the opportunity to go back to school at UC Berkley and get my MBA ... and then be in their Purview Program (The pool of new Vice Presidents - the guys who get charge of large projects).

I turned it down because Armageddon was so close with Peace and Security on the horizon, Soviet Union was warming up to the west, etc., and as a JW I needed to focus in on the Kingdom, working door-to-door and doing Elder stuff. That is a decision I will forever regret. I left the JWs just 3 or 4 years later.

Edited by - Amazing on 18 June 2002 8:42:10

What was your dream?

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