My son came back home from his preschool
the other day and asked me “Papa, what do you want to be when you grow up?” I
was almost about to say something but stopped. I sat back and repeated his
question to myself – What do I want to be when I grow up? This was the first
time in over 20 years someone had asked me this question. I did not want to just
say anything. I really wanted to think and answer his question.
So what do I want to be when I grow up? I
remember when I was a kid I wanted to join the navy. I have always liked
sitting at the beach and listen to the sound of the waves. As a kid the very
thought that if I was in Navy, I can be on a ship sailing on the seas excited
me. But can I join the navy when I grow up, I questioned myself. Maybe the navy
will have age, height, weight etc restrictions. Maybe Navy may not be a choice
for me anymore. Can I become a musician? I like music. I have interest in
learning to play musical instruments. But playing musical instruments requires
lot of practice. I will be a failure if I choose the path of a musician. Maybe
I can be a doctor. I can travel to remote areas and help people. I can be of
some use to the people around me. But doctors have to study a lot. I have to
get back to school and learn for the next several years before I can become a
doctor. This might not be something for me.
I was thinking about what I can become
when I grow up for several moments. I thought of every dream I had as I grew
and scratched everything off for different reasons. Doctor, chartered
accountant, musician, pilot, I had reasons why I cannot grow up to be anyone
from any of those dreams.
My son shook me slightly and asked again –
“Papa, what do you want to be when you grow up?”
There has to be something I can be when I
grow up. I gave a deep thought and finally said “Teacher, I want to be a
teacher when I grow up”, which brought a big smile on my sons face. I was happy
there was something I can be when I grow up.
My son turned to leave and I asked him
what he wanted to be when he grows up. He answered my question almost immediately.
He said he wanted to be a doctor when he is as big as his sister, build roller
coasters when he is as big as his cousin brother, a firefighter when he is as
big as his mother, work on computer when he is as big as me, a dentist when is
as big as his grandmother and a superhero with a large cape when is as big as
his grandfather.
His answer dumbfounded me. What did just
happen? My preschool son has so much clarity and ideas on what he wants to be
when he grows up. While all my education and my degrees had only helped me to
come up with reasons why I cannot become something when I grow up. Is this what
education is supposed to do? The human mind is boundless and of immense
possibilities. Education is supposed to be the tool which gives sense and broadens
those possibilities. Unfortunately I was using my education to only bind my
mind and constrict its possibilities.
I sat back to think. I decided I have to
reconsider what I wanted to be when I grow up. But before that, maybe first I
should empty my mind and get it back to its original state of immense
possibilities. Then I should think what I want to be when I grow up.
~Narendra V Joshi