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"What do you want?"

SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
edited October 2006 in General Banter
As a result of acquiring the whole DVD collection of Babylon 5, I have been watching it from the beginning and in order from the first time.

One of the keys to the story is the difference in the question put by the Shadows and the Vorlons. The Shadows ask: "What do you want?" and the Vorlon ask: "Who are you?"

Reflecting on this, my mind wandered back to my earliest ambitions. I am sure we all had some that have not, yet, been fulfilled, and have acquired new ones along the way (like my desire to base-jump the Angel Falls in Venezuela - so, if I disappear, you may want to think of me plunging past a sheer rock face!]

It is sad to admit that my ambition, at about age 11 (and, perhaps, ever since then), was "to be a saint". Sick-making, isn't it! (I call myself Pilgrim from John Bunyan's famous poem, btw)

I wish now that I had been around, as I am today, to respond to Young Simon when said, "I want to be a saint" with: "First, learn to be human, my dearest!"

Anybody else want to share an ambition? Particularly one which they find slightly blush-making?

Comments

  • BrigidBrigid Veteran
    edited October 2006
    I was quite obsessed with the saints when I was a kid, too, but I always felt that I could never be as good as they were. I voraciously read every life story of every saint I could find as soon as I learned how to read. I couldn't get enough of those stories. Luckily I was born into a Catholic family so I always had plenty of them.

    But the ambition that brings a blush to my cheeks was to be a rock star. And I decided on that one when I was ten! And it lasted into my twenties....(this is embarrassing....).....

    You wanna hear something even worse? In my second year of university I wanted to become....a lawyer. (My boyfriend at the time was in law school at McGill. ) Thank heavens I went to Wales for my third year and was befriended by the hardest partiers and slackers ever to be born and so ruined my grades and dashed that absolutely ridiculous idea. Not that I have anything against lawyers. Really. I have a ton of respect for the good ones. But me as a lawyer? I would have been completely miserable in that world. Definitely not the right path for me. I shudder when I think back....*cringe*
  • MartinofNorwichMartinofNorwich
    edited October 2006
    Well, I wanted to be a lawyer too. A litigation lawyer, arguing for "truth" against "injustice". And, reader, I became one. And found "truth" and "injustice" rather less substantial and much harder to pin down than I had thought they might be. I've spent the last few years trying to escape from what I wanted to be and to reinvent myself as a Mediator.

    Martin.
  • buddhafootbuddhafoot Veteran
    edited October 2006
    I wanted nothing other than to live a decent life supported by my music. Oh... and maybe to fall whackily in love. You know... the initial giddy stuff that doesn't seem to last as long as you'd hope.

    Sure... some serious booty, better living through chemicals, etc. could have been thrown in the mix during my earlier years of "living" off of music - but I do love the "music".

    Now? I just listen to music on my damn computer all day long.

    -bf
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited October 2006
    Simonthepilgrim wrote:

    I wish now that I had been around, as I am today, to respond to Young Simon when said, "I want to be a saint" with: "First, learn to be human, my dearest!"


    LOL, Simon. That's cute.

    I wanted to be a Marine Biologist, and I can't imagine that is going to happen in this lifetime!
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited October 2006
    I wanted to be a doctor back in junior high days. Then I figured out it was just because I had a crush on Doctor Kildare!

    Palzang
  • SabineSabine Veteran
    edited October 2006
    I used to want to be a concert pianist, but that's a whoooooole lot of work in a shoooooort period of time, so that's a no-go.
    I also used to want to be a fireman...
  • ajani_mgoajani_mgo Veteran
    edited October 2006
    I wanted to be an astronaut, then a lawyer, then a soldier, then a computer scientist, and eventually settling on psychology as probably my final and most up-to-date ambition... :p Hopefully I can go be a dolphin trainer in the future!! :)

    But it is in psychology that I find myself searching alot about life more than anything... Perhaps other than the time where I tried to philosophize about Artificial Intelligence during my fascination with CompSci... I draw many parallels, and I have seen psychology both bring me down to a total minimum and to a total maximum, and it is indirectly because of such that I start to learn to look at human problems via very personal angles...

    Above all, my ambition since I found Buddhism is to truly maximize my human potential! :) (Sounds like most atheists, in fact, but never mind) :p
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited October 2006
    ...When I was around seven years of age, sweet innocent young thang that I was, I distinctly remember my mother asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up....

    Draw your own conclusion as to the influences around me at the time, but I replied that I wanted to be either a nun or a stripper....

    She replied that something in between would be acceptable.....
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited October 2006
    LOL!!! A nun OR a stripper!!!!! That's hilarious!

    And so, were you ever a stripper?? ;)
  • PadawanPadawan Veteran
    edited October 2006
    When I was younger, my ambition was to become an astronaut. I remember watching the Apollo programs with awe and wonder, and knew that the astronauts began their careers as pilots, so I decided the first thing to do would be to join the RAF as a jet fighter pilot. I never made it past the Air Cadets, as I flunked my Math grades, and seeing as how flying was the *only* reason for me to be in the RAF, I gave up. One of my other ambitions, and one that I still harbour, is to write and publish a successful novel. I've had plenty of ideas, but so far none of them original enough to develop into a full-blown manuscript. When I do, and if I'm successful, I'll let you know!:crazy:
  • PalzangPalzang Veteran
    edited October 2006
    YM, you have absolutely no shame! So, Fed, what's the answer?!

    Palzang
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited October 2006
    On experience I had as a mad bad toddaly drunk brazen hussy, stands out in my memory - and that's exactly where it's staying....! But it was enough to convince me that peeling the layers off seductively is not what I was cut out for....!

    I got involved in secondary school with a load of born-again baptist fluff-heads (Even going to the Royal Albert Hall for a "Jesus-loves-you-hallelujah-pass-the-Bible" shindig!) at which point I also realised it was all too ridiculous......

    and now, you guys have got me! :tongue2:

    So it all turned out right in the end - !
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited October 2006
    Palzang wrote:
    YM, you have absolutely no shame! So, Fed, what's the answer?!

    Palzang

    And you're just realizing that NOW??? ;)
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited October 2006
    and fede, yes, it all turned out perfectly and we are so very happy to have you here! We are very lucky! :)

    On another note, I won't even begin to tell you about my drunken hussy days!
  • inthedharmainthedharma
    edited October 2006
    Simon, Let me know how you like Babylon 5. I loved that show when it was on and I believe I saw all the episodes. Yes, you guessed it.......I need to get a life. lol

    As a very young lass I wanted to be a gymnast. But as I entered jr. high at 5'8'' my mom informed me I was to tall. So I moved on to wanting to be a vet. But as my very kind high school counselor informed me. I didn't make good enough grades to be a vet or anything else for that matter. (11th grade, was a B-C student) And he thought my best option would be to not waste my parents money by going to college and that I should stop being a party girl, ( I preferred the title WILD CHILD ) get married and have babies. So my senior year of high school I made straight A's (to show him) found a husband and got married 10 days after graduation.......

    Can you believe a school counselor would tell someone that..........I can laugh about it now. At the time , I was to embarrassed to tell anyone.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited October 2006
    Deb,

    I am a true B5 fan, even down to recognising different episodes and having watched the follow-ups. I am very foind of Londo Molari!
  • YogaMamaYogaMama
    edited October 2006
    Deb - lol about what your counselor told you! Sounds like a great, motivating counselor. Sheesh!!
  • inthedharmainthedharma
    edited October 2006
    Simon,

    I like Londo too but I have to say my favorite over all is G'Kar....

    I really liked Delenn before she went thro metamorphoses.....she was ok after but I just like her character much better before. It is one of my all time favorite shows......Don't find many ppl who have watched all the episodes let alone even know their names....Cool. Glad you are watching it again........I should buy that series.....hmmm

    YM,

    Yes, what a great counselor........to bad I didn't know then what I know now. As a mother......I would have made sure he decided to go to a different profession.
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