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

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.

John Lewis

U.S. Representative from Georgia, 1987–2020; Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee 1963–1966

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

When I was growing up I wanted to be a minister. I wanted to preach.

Academy of Achievement interview, Chicago, 10 June 2004 source ↗

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Björn Ulvaeus Swedish musician

Successful like my two uncles, who were paper industry magnates.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 June 2020 source ↗

Griff Rhys Jones British actor and comedian

An actor. Then I grew out of that and became one by default. Or sort of one: “Not really an actor”, said Michael Billington.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 December 2017 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 ↗

Tracy-Ann Oberman Actor and writer

An actress. My family thought it was ridiculous, it was like saying you wanted to be an astronaut.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 August 2021 source ↗

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Question Excluding property, what is the most expensive thing you have ever bought? Money & investment

Buying art…. But it makes me happy!

Recorded Vanity Fair, Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 6 December 2019 source ↗

Question What does happiness look like for you when life is going well? Identity & self

When I was growing up on a farm in rural Alabama, I fell in love with raising chickens. They seem truly innocent. Whenever I'm around chickens, I feel happy.

Recorded Vanity Fair, Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 6 December 2019 source ↗

Question Who alive today do you admire most, and what draws you to them? Values & belief

Barack Obama, because he believed he could be president of the United States, and he succeeded. He was kind, and he tried to set a high standard of leadership.

Recorded Vanity Fair, Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 6 December 2019 source ↗

Question Which problem are you still chipping away at? Craft & work

There are many battles. There’s so much that needs to be done. We need to protect the environment. Save this little planet. Not just this little piece of real estate we call America, but save the planet.

Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, Chicago, 10 June 2004 source ↗

Question How has a setback or failure set you up for later success? Failure & regret

I never thought that we would fail or that I would fail. I knew from time to time we may make some blunders. We may make some mistakes, but we were not going to fail.

Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, Chicago, 10 June 2004 source ↗

Question What do you fear most? Identity & self

As a participant in the movement, as I was sitting in, I came to that point where I lost all sense of fear.

Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, Chicago, 10 June 2004 source ↗

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