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The question

As a child, what career or life did you imagine for yourself?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

This is a standing question in The Guardian's decades-long The Q&A and also recurs independently in career and life interviews.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

2 versions

Earlier wording is kept rather than replaced. This is the record of how the answer moved, not evidence that it should not have.

  1. Version 1 superseded 15 Sep 2026
    A pilot
  2. Version 2 Current
    I always wanted to be a pilot

Others on this question

View all 197 →
Riz Ahmed British actor and rapper
I wanted to perform in some way, but I didn’t think it was viable. Teachers told me I should be a barrister, because I was always arguing with them.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 April 2021 source ↗
Gregg Wallace English broadcaster and writer
A sailor. I wanted to be in the Royal Navy like my grandad.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 April 2022 source ↗
Zoe Ball British TV and radio personality
I only ever wanted to be Barbra Streisand. I probably still do.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 5 December 2020 source ↗
Shirley MacLaine American actress and author
At three, I knew I was too tall to be a ballerina, so that wasn’t going to happen.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 July 2017 source ↗

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Question What would you most want to leave your children? Death & what remains
I want to leave my children three foundational tools to navigate the world: Life skills: The practical capability and independence to take care of themselves, solve everyday problems, and handle adult responsibilities with ease. Confidence: A self-belief rooted in resilience, knowing they have worth, deserve to take up space, and can handle failure without letting it define them. A sense of humor: The ability to find levity in life's absurdity, laugh at themselves, and keep perspective when things don't go according to plan. If they leave home with these three things, they'll have everything they need to build a meaningful life.

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