I probably would have been a good lawyer, but hated the thought of becoming one just because Nparents said I should.
I became excellent at arguing my point from a very young age.
Everything my parents threw at me had to be countered with tonnes of evidence, specific, timed examples and impeccable arguments. I became a master of the "aha!" turnaround word trap. My parents told me I would make an excellent lawyer. As soon as they said that I stopped wanting to be right all the time, because by being right it was making them right. I couldn't even have THAT for myself.
I don't know why I thought of this. I am a post-bac career changer and some days it is hard to slog along knowing the payoff is 10+ years in the future. I wish I had been more sure of myself early on and less determined to save a piece of myself, for myself, rather than letting my parents have everything...it means I spent more time hiding myself than figuring out exactly who I was and what I wanted.
Posted Apr 14, 2015, 6:54 PM UTC
Becoming a public defender wasn't on the radar? There are other careers where you would be able to put these skills into practice. Pretty much any social work would require you to be quick witted and able to articulate an argument.
On the up side, you have now and the rest of your life to discover who you are.
I'm going to become a veterinarian and advocate for the health and welfare of animals and their people. :)
I didn't know about being a public defender. I just didn't want my parents to tell me who I was or what I was good at. I would have rather failed at a career (and I did).
I moved from telecomm to healthcare, I find health and welfare to be much more rewarding (even on the miserable days of grunt work). I wish I'd gone for animals, because they are probably even more rewarding. Good call!
Failing out in a career that I wasn't really all that into in the first place is one of the best things that has happened for me. Now your days will be filled with adorable animals (and all their bodily fluids...) :)
In my previous life in advertising, I served the wanton whims of enormous N's who were, coincidentally, very similar to my parents. It was a familiar and terrifying environment until I learned that I really didn't have to do it for the rest of my life if I didn't want to! The best part is that it was my realization and my decision! Feels great.