When I grow up

As a kid when thinking about your future, of course you have no idea as to what lies ahead let alone a career, but when asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I always came up with "Gift Wrapper". That was the ideal job for me. You get to play with pretty paper and bows and design and decorate other peoples purchases AND get paid for it. I remember going to JC Pennys with my mom and going to the gift wrapping area so full of excitement and anticipating the numerous boxes perched on the wall in varieties of paper. There was the happy birthday box, the wedding box, the manly box, the baby shower bow with the little plastic stork addition on it and all the other boxes that symbolize the occasion. But alas...the only gift wrapping jobs I ever snagged were the ones for my self, but boy...I must say, I can wrap a pretty mean gift.

Then as time went by, I actually developed my interests and started to take notice of my assets and thought I could be a "Concierge". I love to talk to people, love to direct them in the right direction, interested in local attractions, like helping people but most of all...I love hotels. I could live in one for the rest of my life if I had too...especially a 5 star hotel. I could wear a spiffy uniform and be gracious and very informative and everyone one in the place would just love me because I would know where all the action was and where to find a dog groomer at 1:00 am . But again...it was not to be.

So after stumbling in and out of various mindless and mediocre office jobs, my mother who was an optician, needed help at her work. She asked me if I could come in on a Saturday and do some paperwork for her and that I didn't have to do anything else, which was great because I didn't have a clue as to what she did. Well...long story short....I stayed for almost 21 years.
I became an optician. I loved my job all the while being creative and mingling with the public...and believe me..there are some doozies out there but in general, if you treat people kind and with respect, it'll come back at you.

Which leads me to this questions...If you weren't doing what you ended up doing...job, career-wise, just what would you have done? Now that your all grown up and you've experienced life and all that it has to offer and I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume your smarter now...just what would it be?

Me? I've always thought that if I ever won the lotto, I'd go back to school and become an Architect. I love drawing diagrams and blue prints of things and if Eric ever said to me, "Hey, babe, wanna demo the house and start from scratch"....well, needless to say I'd need to find out what drug he's on and then run out and buy a sledge hammer cuz I'd be in bunny heaven.
Interior decorator and all around antique/junk dealer would be a close 2nd.
So...how 'bout you all?