If I were a Butterfly...!

This was the topic I chose to write an essay in my 6th standard English Essay Competition and I got a first prize for that. (No...I am not going to blabber about the content of that essay now, as I dont remember it except for few words like fragrance, nectar, colours, flowers and that is all about it.) My classmates chose various interesting topics like...If I were an astronaut, a teacher, a scientist, a doctor, a nurse,a dancer, a magician, a singer, an engineer, and so on.

I think we all brought out our secret desires of what we want to be one day. I remember my amma wondering what will I be ...in future as she (a middle management official in revenue department) could not imagine that I wanted to be a butterfly. And from then I heard various professions like doctors, engineers, collectors(as in the revenue department, no the debt department) teachers being discussed as a suitable would be aspiration for me. And one of the compulsory FAQs by the uncles and aunts who visited my home is "What do you want to be?" and though I hated the question I used to take the cue from amma and would parrot, "I want to be a doctor" in an earnest voice and awarded by an approving smile from my parents.

One of amma's colleague-let's call him M uncle has a daughter Bhanu who was 2 years junior to me in the same school. And from day one she joined in the LKG, all the students and sometimes the teachers too will repeatedly ask her the question "What is your name?" ( yes I too wondered that since she has a pretty easy name why are they asking her to repeat it...before I witnessed one such name- asking session personally) She stood straight in attention and sternly told, "My name is M. Bhanu, IAS collector of Madurai District", followed by a dignified nod of her bobbed head and then she resumed her usual sitting posture. I felt it very funny and went home and told that to my mother laughing and got a stern look from her silently wiping my laughter.

Years went by we all parted from school following the pathway that is destined for us to walk. Heard from grapevine that the astronaut became a VAO, the doctor a teacher, the scientist a shopkeeper, the singer a computer engineer....yes the IAS collector of Madurai district became a Biotech Engineer.

Now that we have our own children, I never ask any kid or mine, what she/he will become when they grow up. But our little ones do come up with very creative and occasional blurting with, "Ma..I want to be this when I grow up" and the aspiration keeps on changing sometimes even in few weeks. My paediatrician once shared with me that her then 5 year son wanted to be... the cleaner of dustbins, that week . This little genius's family has 5 doctors, his mother a very famous Paed in Singapore and his desire is to be ....... My loved one juggles his choices between a zookeeper, a navy official, a public bus driver, a musician, a painter (not the artistic type) and a policeman at this point of time. Don’t know what destiny has planned for him and just keeping my mind blank to accept and back up his decisions.

And yes .....the butterfly has become a butterfly after all, navigating in the IL garden enjoying the fragrance of ILite flowers and drinking nectar to its hearts content from the posts. We become what we desire...won't we?!

Will be happy to hear about your aspirations and desires too, my dear friends!

Vijee,

I just imagined IAS, collector of Madurai . but yes, this was the question many a times. I had been too firm in wanting to be lawyer, (DH says i missed my calling though), ended up being computer literate., and now sitting at home, and reading about the transformations of other butterflies.

Kids are so sweet. cleaner i can understand his enthu..

DD, wanted to be a drawing teacher initially, and later she has got stuck to CA, though sometimes she scares me saying that she may want to be a part time rockstar (Hannah montana influence ). So, I have made a list of good schools of art, and also how to guide her for CA, and now in search of how to be a good rockstar...being prepared you see, so I can also be in touch with the preparations...

DS, now this young man has a great calling...he wanted to be a cooker (read it as chef..he used to tell me when you have barber,sweeper,cleaner,why not cooker..valid point) and then it was cricketer alone, we had to tell him cricketers also had a by-profession, now it is a geologist/volcanologist for the past 5 years. I really do not know if he will change again.

I tell them you can tell them what you want to be. Some people look at me strangely, when i say, I have made a list of the colleges that have seismology.. . who knows what will call to them....

Whatever they want to be, let them atleast enjoy it with our blessings right...

am I crazy..????

Dear Viji

that was a lovely write-up. I enjoyed it much. My son used to ask us 'why do all the parents want their kids to become doctors? Are there not a multitude of other worthwhile jobs?'
Like you, I too dreaded to ask that question because 'just like the flavor of the month -ice cream', the answers would vary according to the mood of the day.
I myself wanted to become a journalist or a media announcer, both of which did not happen. I entered teaching profession by chance and have stuck with it. Only now after joining IL, the interest I had in writing has re-surfaced.

dear vijee,
lovely topic..first of all a huge kiss and hug to one who wants to be the cleaner of dustbins and the zookeeper..how innocent and refreshingly different...Big Laugh

now actually since i discovered mylong lost school friends I am in the process of finding out what my classmates have all turned out to be...so it is the "in" topic for me..

i think i wanted to be a teacher(compelling my young bro to be my student and oh so tough to hold that one pupil in my class,he would try to run away every five minutes) but yes i turned out to be a C.A..

my bro wanted to be a bus conductor so that he could go tring tring lol and he is an engineer now..

my baby wanted to be a vet first,then an archaeologist

in one of those"how close is the father daughter relationship" contests that we had during our family picnic my dh, was asked what he thought his dd wanted to become..poor guy very proudly came out with archaeologist but apparently she was already past that because when it was her turn she came out with"i want to be a pop singer...so that i can hold the mike and dance" lol..

very difficult to believe now that she is seriously wanting to persue engineering..

thanks vijee..i had a wonderful time lol though my fb has turned out quite long...
love
Mindi

VJ sweety

You are sure a butterfly as beautiful at your heart ;)
But as per your mom's desire, you have become a doctor too

And Big Laughat your junior's name and your innocent face after mom's stern look.

You know what, you reminded me of my nephew's name. He used to say,
"Mukundakrishnan, MDS".
Yeah, kiddos are always looking up for great things ;)

Well, I always have a desire to be a RJ and I hope I will make it one day.

VJ,

I thought I am going to give first FB but I am 4th :)
Such an interesting snippet dear

Dear Abhi,
I like post where it is open end ,where we can add on.
I really didn't know what i wanted to be . It keeps changing like weather even now.
If i hear good music, i want to be a musician
If i see a good dance, i want to be dancer
If i see some one smart , i want to be that

I do remember wanting to become Buddha, all i knew i was i must leave my house and go to jungle. I left home with biscuits in my pocket & told my friend iam going to become 'Buddhi" walked a few steps, came back and said i will do it on another day. That was end of my enlightment path & still incomplete.
My niece used to tell me she wants to be "indonesian maid", as she was taken care by the Indon maid. My son used to say he wants to be lorry driver, later wanted to open a massage parlor (i used to ask him press my calf muscles when i used to have period pains and then praise him that he is the best masseur) , well he turned out to be a doctor.

I like children to enjoy their childhood and blossom as they are.
Jaya

Hi Abhi
beautiful memories of aabutterfly.

What we want in childhood & what become are some time very different.in past few jobs & titles were looked upon with pride like Doctor ,engineer ,IAS & so many children from that era just voiced those jobs. Now there are so many choices that children changes there wish so frequently. There is that beautiful ad of Sachin & kid in aviva life insurence.

Originally Posted by Shanvy

I had been too firm in wanting to be lawyer, (DH says i missed my calling though), ended up being computer literate., and now sitting at home, and reading about the transformations of other butterflies.

she may want to be a part time rockstar (Hannah montana influence ). So, I have made a list of good schools of art, and also how to guide her for CA, and now in search of how to be a good rockstar...being prepared you see, so I can also be in touch with the preparations...
. I really do not know if he will change again.
Whatever they want to be, let them atleast enjoy it with our blessings right...

am I crazy..????

Dear Shan,

Whenever I think about the collector I too laugh. And I always enquire about Uncle M and his family to amma, even during tjis trip we were talking about the girl and the inspiration for this post is B.
And I Big Laugh at imagining why Veda tells that you missed your call as a lawyer. Yes sometimes we want to be something, study something, end up doing totally something else. I learned to accept it as fate.(No choice..hah!)
I am touched that you are keeping all the gates open for your kids , to help them spread their wings and go soaring heights. My best wishes for them and love to you. Mothers like you are inspiration to me.

Hannah Montanna...hmm...Good choice, even I like her and I never fail to watch the shows in TV along with Abhi who secretly has a crush on herbonk.
And I really LOL at Sri becoming a cooker-I agree with his argument. You got to wait and see if he changes his choice.

Yes...you are right about giving our blessings and yes you are crazy...crazy with love for her lovely kids. So nothing wrong here. Thanks for sharing my dear Shan.

Originally Posted by sundarusha

Dear Viji

that was a lovely write-up. I enjoyed it much. My son used to ask us 'why do all the parents want their kids to become doctors? Are there not a multitude of other worthwhile jobs?'
Like you, I too dreaded to ask that question because 'just like the flavor of the month -ice cream', the answers would vary according to the mood of the day.
I myself wanted to become a journalist or a media announcer, both of which did not happen. I entered teaching profession by chance and have stuck with it. Only now after joining IL, the interest I had in writing has re-surfaced.

Thank you Usha.
I liked the "'just like the flavor of the month -ice cream', comparison. How apt! Your son is right. Also the options varies with what the friends have been chatting about in school. Peer pressure...HmmDrowning.

Interesting to know that you wanted to be a journalist and I am not surprised altogether having read your write-ups. But being a teacher, you can guide numerous journalists...who need the push, Am I right?

I also wanted to be a news reader in some stage and didnt have a chance to think or pursue that aspiration. Thanks buddy for sharing your desires here.