When I Grow Up

“What do you wanna be when you grow up?” My big brother Keith asked me. I remember vividly, I was around six years old, standing in the kitchen eating a red popsicle.

“A singer” I responded almost instantly. When he asked me to sing, I froze. I’m not sure if I even knew any songs, and at that time, if I did, I doubt if I would have sung one. I changed my mind.

“Well, if not a singer then what?” My brother asked determined to have insight into my career thoughts,

“Uh, I want to be a policeman!” I said in excitement. I remember having the feeling that one day I would really be a police officer; however, if my brother would have asked the question again, I’m pretty sure my answer would have been different. 14 years later I applied and was accepted into Xavier University of Louisiana and majored in biology- I asked myself the same question- what did I want to be when I grew up? I wanted to be a doctor; I thought. After a full year, two semesters of failing classes and learning that I had no interest in organs, or any other doctor related topics- my interest and occupation choice changed, again. I had a new interest to become a lawyer, so I changed my major to psychology with my minor in political science. I think mainly because I thought lawyers were cool- they were powerful and respected, although I disliked politics. Don’t ask me how that would have worked. I went back to the drawing board. I went back to grade school, when I wanted to be an actor- it never really changed, I was just searching for something more traditional. I wanted to be an actor since the age of 10, but at that young age, I was unsure if I could. Everything on television seemed too far away for me to be a part of; not realizing that Hollywood was 40 minutes away from Compton. I was never really unsure of what I wanted to be; I was just unsure of what I could be.  In the year 2010, I was ready to take the leap of faith and be what I unconsciously always wanted to be- an actor; and I did. With this occupation, I can be anything. I’m able to be a singer, lawyer, or a boring doctor if I had to, even after failing those biology classes- the best of all worlds you can say. So now, when my brother or anyone else asks what I want to be when I grow up, I can respond and tell them, “everything!”