I wanted to be a poet.
Hard to make money tho. And takes a lot of time to get good I guess.
Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
11–20 of 22 posts
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#12Throughout said life, and incrementally "ruined" by said life, I wanted to...: - Be a train. (realized that I was 3) - Be a breakdancer. (realized that bodies age) - Be a DJ. (realized I liked employ-ability and stability) - Be a classicist/anthropologist (realized once again that I liked employ-ability, and wasn't excited about becoming a Vatican priest) - Be retired so I can go back to A. (still working on it.) You…
Being three shouldn't have prevented you from being a train. There are plenty of trains older than that (some googling suggests the oldest 'living' train may be 161 years old right now, although admittedly it spends most of its time in a museum right now.) There is still hope :)
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#13Throughout said life, and incrementally "ruined" by said life, I wanted to...: - Be a train. (realized that I was 3) - Be a breakdancer. (realized that bodies age) - Be a DJ. (realized I liked employ-ability and stability) - Be a classicist/anthropologist (realized once again that I liked employ-ability, and wasn't excited about becoming a Vatican priest) - Be retired so I can go back to A. (still working on it.) You…
Your life journey reminds me of the parable of the Mexican fisherman: https://bemorewithless.com/the-story-of-the-mexican-fisherma... Enjoy your retirement!
Fun parable. Glossing over details. Like getting a tooth implant here and there, repairing your house after a storm, or buying food in a bad season.
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#14I keep wanting to do a Ludum Dare game jam, but I've got a kid, and a wife, and friends, and work, and housework, and there is just never the time for it
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#15Play more video games and read more books.
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#16I wanted to be a novelist. I still do. But I spent a lot of time on goals that weren't related to this. I wish I had put this goal higher on the list.
Same here.
I've wanted to be a lot of things growing up, but writer and programmer are really the only two that have stayed the course of time.
Here's some advice toward that: Don't combine your hobby and job like I did and build a writing app, I spend more of my free time now developing, debugging and adding features than I do writing.
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#17I wanted to be a priest. At some point, my relationship with faith soured and I no longer saw it as a calling.
Interesting. Can I ask what field are you in now, and did that come after the souring of faith?
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#18Play more video games and read more books.
Since having kids I've had to let games go. The last thing I played was skyrim when it came out. I miss them sometimes.
On the other hand there are more books on my to read list than I'll ever have time for in life. If I left my job and family and lived alone in a library for the rest of my life I might just manage it, but probably only if the rest of humanity stops writing more books I want to read
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#19I wanted to be a poet. Hard to make money tho. And takes a lot of time to get good I guess.
There can't be many professional poets in the world. I would bet most of them have another job. You can still do that one
Re: Ask HN: What did you want to do before *life* got in the way?
#20I keep wanting to do a Ludum Dare game jam, but I've got a kid, and a wife, and friends, and work, and housework, and there is just never the time for it
Surely your wife, kid, friends and job wouldn't begrudge you taking 2-3 days off? Go do it!
I do nanowrimo every year, and it means setting my family a little less for November. You give them the rest of your life, you're allowed some time off