What did you want to be when you were growing up?

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.

@aliabbasi
A pilot

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James Dyson British inventor and businessman
I had no idea whatsoever, and nor did anyone else. I thought I’d go to art school and see whether I liked it – and of course I did, and stayed.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 December 2021 source ↗
Rick Astley Singer, songwriter and radio presenter
When I was about 14 and got my first drum kit, I wanted to be a drummer in a band like the Police.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 October 2018 source ↗

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Question What would you like 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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