Today was my day to work at my son's school. When a fire alarm went off, we all trekked out to the playground just in time to see a dirigible fly overhead.
"How many of you plan to get pilot's licenses when you're older?" I asked a group of kids. "You can start taking flying lessons when you're a teenager, you know. Maybe you could learn to fly an airship like that one."
I had an ulterior motive: asking the question puts it within the realm of possibility, rather than something which they wouldn't consider because they're girls.
"I wanna be an ASTRONAUT!" one girl chirped. "I wanna see lots of other planets!"
"Yeah?" I responded, "So did I when I was a kid. High five!"
We duly exchanged high fives, and I refrained from mentioning that becoming an astronaut would involve a great deal of vomiting.
A second little girl spoke up. "I wanna be an astronaut too!"
Another high five, this time for her.
A third little girl had been watching this exchange with a growing sense of urgency. Suddenly she spoke up. "Me too! I wanna be an astronaut too!"
Another high five.
I don't know whether she really wants to be an astronaut or she just wanted in on the high fives. Either way it's good.
Such is the power of peer pressure.
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It starts young doesn't it? - Jazz
Well, I certainly didn't and don't want to be an astronaut, but good for you anyway. (I don't think I would have, even if you had been around to encourage me. I don't even like being a passenger in an aeroplane.)
No, I agree with Isabelle. The Major Tom song freaked me out too much. :)
People should aspire to whatever they like. Who knows what any of those little girls will want to do in twenty years. My key hope would just be that they wouldn't automatically discard options because they're female.
OK, way too funny..guess I just saw the humor in this post! You can talk kids into anything...
Well, there is precedent for female astronauts, so why not? The sky is metaphorically the limit.
Rather be high fiving, than choosing spectacles!
I'm just thankful that we've finally gotten to a point where girls can imagine having any career at all.
No high fives for me, I'm afraid. I avoid vomiting at all costs. Great post!
Another thought brought up by your post... When I was a child, my mother told me that I could be a teacher, a nurse or a mommy. Later, she cautioned me never to marry a diplomat because I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I wondered why it didn't occur to her that I should never BE a diplomat, considering my "little problem," but that was beyond her imaginings for me. I'm so very glad that girls are accepted as fully human and capable these days, at least in some circles.
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