When I Grow Up

There was a writer conversation some weeks ago . . . what would you be doing now if you weren't writing. My response was that I have no idea because all I ever wanted to be was a writer.

Then I thought about it a little more. I seriously never wanted to be anything but a writer my whole life. The type of writer I wanted to be changed every so often . . . I'd read the teenie bopper magazines and dream about being the person who interviewed those heart throbs. Then I wanted to be an investigative reporter and eventually move to broadcast news -- Barbara Walters was my hero back then, when she became the first woman anchor (yeah, even as a kid I was a news junkie). Then I wanted to write sports, especially for Sports Illustrated. (Still would like that to happen.)

But every so often there would be some other things I'd dream about. For most of my teen years, I really wanted to be baseball commissioner. When my interest in politics kicked in, I wanted to be president of the U.S. -- even though today I realize that my skill would be as political advisor.

Note what those two "dream" jobs had in common -- power and being in a position to make change. But as a writer, I hold some power. The power of words to introduce new ideas, change perceptions, educate. And I can work in shorts and a t-shirt, which I can't do if I'm president, and I can keep all the Phillies pictures hanging in my office, which I probably shouldn't do as baseball commissioner.