*AN ELECTION FREE POST*

So, this post has nothing to do with the election and I'm not sure it relates to family policies but its been on my mind as its a question I've been asked more times than I can count as I near graduation. Its a question we are asked as children and continue to ask children. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" This question for many reasons is troubling. Maybe you don't know, maybe you want to do everything, maybe the career you want to pursue isn't a career yet? We ask inexperienced children and those who were legally children not but a couple of years ago what they want to be? That just sounds so defining to me. You are this or you are this. In my mind it says once you're *insert career* you're stuck being a *insert career* and what you do for money says who you are. I feel like the way we present adult life says it doesn't matter what words come out of your mouth, what you advocate for and what your heart beats for, what you love to do, how you treat other people, it doesn't matter. But what you do for money? That'll define you THAT matters. ?? I'm honestly so curious as to why we set kids up for this psychological trap. Why don't we ask everyone, young and old, "what do you want to learn about?" You can make a living out of anything. By asking what someone would like to learn opens the door to lifelong learning and it says "hey you! try something out and if you don't like it try something different". As humans I think we forget it's okay to change your mind and then change it again. We're constantly changing as human beings as we change with the world around us and its wild to me to think that we're almost expected to know at 5 or 25 what cement we want to place ourselves in for the next sixty years. Sorry for the word vomit/TED talk hopefully this makes sense to at least one person and we can clink imaginary internet drinks.