When I was about 10 years old I was sitting on the curb with some neighborhood girls and we were planning our lives- we decided right then and there who we would marry, where we would live and what sort of jobs we were going to have when we grew up.
Most of what I was hearing involved big houses and jobs as stewardesses or teachers and marriages to actors and the Osmond Brothers.
I remember my friend Karen sort of flinched and said, ” What about you Anita?”
I took a deep breath and I was off and running because like a lot of girls that age I was planning on ” one day “.
I said I was going to be a writer like ” The Twilight Zone Guy ” and then I would become fighter pilot and then after I got done with that I was going to be a Captain, like Captain Kirk, and be the first woman to land a spaceship on Mars.
I told my friends I expected to discover real aliens on ‘ faraway planets ‘ and after I died I was going to be buried on Titan in a cemetery they’d have there one day for Space Explorers like me.
And then I said I never wanted to get married.
I wanted to live in a cabin in the mountains with some pet wolves and I wanted a salt water aquarium full of sea horses.
My friends stared at me with their mouths hanging open.
Karen grabbed Melody, Melody yanked on Shelly’s arm and they moved a few feet away from me whispering to to each other and giving me horrified looks the entire time.
When they were done Shelly stomped up to me and I nearly dove into the street straight in front of an on coming car because I thought she was going to kick me
I swear to this day she was almost crying. ” That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I’m telling your Mom…everyone is right- you are a weirdo! Of COURSE you’re going to get married!”
Irregular Bones 
So everyone’s fine with pet wolves and seahorses!? How cool – my dreams as a girl involved pop stars and supermodels (me being a supermodel of course). My friends and I went as far to write stories and draw pictues… naturally one of us was a fashion designer as well! Aaah, dreams. Kind of tame compared to visiting Mars and being buried on Titan… I would have wanted to be in your gang Anita!
Sounds like a fun life — the one you described, I mean. Now how many of those goals have you completed? Or completed partly? I hope lots and lots.
Bo
Chefleur you’re in the club
and Bo…so far I’ve mde it to the ” Twlight Zone Guy ” part.
Am working on Titan now 😉
amm
Did you hear about Scotty’s (Star Trek) ashes being shot into orbit from a launchpad in New Mexico? After orbiting they were supposed to disengage from the rocket & land back on Earth. But when they located the tracking device that was supposed to be attached to the package containing his ashes, the package was missing. My theory was that Scotty had transported them back in time to 1947 and this is what the rancher found outside of Roswell that they thought was of alien origin. Alas, they finally found the package with Scotty’s ashes- while the tracking device had led them on a wild goose chase in the mountains, the package was sitting within sight of the launchpad- guess no one went outside to look.
I’m just floored by this … I mean NASA lost a box of human cremains…
It’s true you CAN be over educated.
amm
I like your ideas. When I was about 11, a teacher had us write a story about space. All the other girls in my class wrote about a house on the moon and decorating it. I wrote a fantasy story about being the first person on Pluto and discovering a new sort of snowshoe rabbit there- the other stuff was just a bit too tame for me. Not in your Twilight Zone league, but not run-of-the-mill, either. They always thought I was a little -ah- different, too.
By the way- I’m glad you’ve made the Twilight Zone part. I love reading your stories!
Thank You Jane…
I guess if I had to chose one goal I chose the right one…tho it would be Boss to Captain a Space Ship.
amm
They lost Scotty’s ashes?? Sounds like a government operation to be sure.
AMM, When I was a kid I wanted Lt. Uhura’s job. Actually, I do sit at a console of sorts and field communications all day. I’m considering getting one of the bluetooth ear thingy’s just like Uhura used to have. I can’t however do the micro-miniskirt outfit– no, no, very bad idea.
🙂
She was cool wasn’t she Lori?
But I wanted to be THE CAPTAIN…guess I was a bossy kid…some things never change 😉
Well, then you must have loved it when Captain Janeway sat her fanny in the Big Chair. I, however, was, swoon, totally gaga over her first office, Commander Chako-babe…. 😉
Janeway wasn’t feisty enough- she looked like an old fashioned school marm and most of the time she acted like one ;-(
amm
Well, I do recall a time or two yelling to the TV: “Stop acting like Captain Mama!”, but I did like her.
Me thinks we truly are kindred spirits Anita Marie. 😉
How true Jade, How true 😉