Coolest jobs from a kid's point of view?

pickarooney

Do you have the kind of job that kids want to grow up to do? Are you doing what you always hoped you'd be when you were a wee 'un yourself?

My own Dad was a humble salesman in a big hardware shop in a small Carlow town. I have fond memories of going to visit him at work with my Mam or with my brother on a Saturday while she did the messages. The big store-room was a miles-better playground than the one in the park with the swings and see-saws. It was immense, with rows and rows of high shelves reaching up to the ceiling to play hide-and-go-seek in, stacks of aeroboard and timber to climb all over and big rolls of glassfibre that were the crack to bounce on, moreso because you weren't allowed and they could cut the hand off you if you weren't careful.

There was the paint-shaker, an impossibly loud little bull-terrier of a machine, rattling tubs of Crown so fast on its powerful springs that they blurred until all you could see was the logo between two oscillating streaks of white. I remember looking on in amazement, under my father's arm, as he lined up panes of glass and casually sliced through them with what looked like a fountain pen. I was even more thrilled when I learned the tip of it was made of diamonds and diamonds were the hardest thing in the world. James Bond had nothing like that. That fella had all sorts of gadgets, fast cars and helicopters, but he never had a forklift. What a machine! You could go backwards, forwards, round in circles, up and down, in and out by pulling on a few levers, slide in under a pallet with a hundred tons of bricks and scoop them off the ground with the tips of your fingers, not a hobble on it.

All the customers knew my Dad and would usually ask for him, even if it was only to buy a few screws. My uncle, his brother, his boss, would come out with his red face and his white hair and his salesman's smile and ask what he could do. They were grand, they'd say, they were waiting for Des. He'd be out the back, loading the lorry or mixing up some new colour - who knew there could be so many blues? - but would always have time and a real smile for the trusting customer, solid advice on which nails would be best for knocking into concrete blocks or whether you could trust them new German drill-bits. You could, the Germans knew their hardware.

Dad knocked off at six, but there would always be a couple of deliveries to do 'on the way home'. The five-mile journey often became a twenty-mile trek up the hills and I'd sneak a look at the dockets before climbing into the truck. Ballytarsna, Kellymount, Ballyragget, Shankill, turf, coal, timber, we'd be home around seven, sure enough , but I certainly didn't mind. I was never hungry anyway. He'd open the back of the truck and start to unload the first bags. Usually we'd have forgotten the little hand-cart so he'd carry the bags into the sheds himself. I'd manage to displace a hundredweight of coal, dragging it, sweating across the cobbled behind me, while he stacked a half-ton along the wall before giving me a hand with the last one.

Job done, and off we'd head over the back road, crossing the border into Kilkenny and keeping a look-out for snipers and fairies on the rath and he'd let me honk the horn as we drove up to the house in time for dinner, although we always called it 'tea'.

There were builders in our house one time. There was a new baby and a new extension going in. I remember Joe and Ollie better than I do most of my extended family. They could get away with anything, builders, wearing the filthiest, plaster-streaked trousers and ripped, sleeveless jackets and woolly caps. There was no need for a hard-hat, sure, they weren't micky-mousers.
With their endless cups of tea, they'd smoke inside what was technically the house.
"You don't mind, missus?"
Of course she did, but you didn't want to get on the wrong side of the men literally putting a roof over your head. The builders made cursing funny, and cursing was never a laughing matter in our house. Only bolloxes of yokes and oul hapes of shi'e anyway woud be kicked aside with a bark of laughter as one of them dragged on a crushed butt. You always wanted to
help the builders, would do anything to participate. These lads were hard at work, it was the least you could do and great crack into the bargain.

A lot of my friends' parents were farmers. Their big houses with their wide yards full of sheepdogs and smelling of silage and scones were great places to hand around. You had to put wellingtons on, which made it hard to run and look out for electric fences and cow-dung, but there was no better place for a game of hurling than the back paddock behind a farmyard. Milking cows
and feeding sheep was serious business, but you did it with a smile on your face, in the knowledge that you might get a go on the combine harvester later. If you didn't annoy him too much, your mates oul' fella would let you have a go of the steering wheel. The power you felt driving that big massive yoke with its hungry blades around!

Every farm had a thrilling, dangerous place somewhere on the land - the slurry pit. Kids drowned in these things every week of the year, their little lungs filling with excrement as they died quietly after attempting some stupid bet. It wasn't all fun being a farmer.

The worst thing was if your mother or father was a teacher. You couldn't help it of course, but teachers were by and large the enemy. Even the seemingly nice ones, you couldn't trust, and if you couldn't trust the parents, well... how can you expect a child to keep a secret from their mammy when she's also the mistress?

This morning, as I said goodbye to him, I asked my son if he wanted to come to work with me. I got a blank stare. He's only eight months old, but the "Why?" was out there. What possible interest could the boring office of an IT company hold for a child? What was there to make him one day want to grow up to be like his Dad? Would he, embarrassed by the truth, tell his little friends I was a fireman or a lion-tamer? Or a farmer? I kissed him on the forehead before turning to get my coat. I'd have to buy a forklift.

whiskeyman

Wow, big post for AH. Way too big. Just about got past the thread title to be honest.

I'm gonna say Binman. Or maybe icecream man, or milkman...
Not sure where that fits it.

oh well...

TPD

Yeah..

funk-you

Thanks OP, i always wondered how country kids survived boredom in their childhood. You painted a good picture. I don't think you're all so weird now.

My dad was in the army so when the kids were playing "my dad can beat up your dad" i'd have great fun with "my dad drives a tank!"

-Funk

Mahatma coat

Good question there lad, I suppose its still jobs where you make or do stuff that kids can relate to, IT jobs just dont cut it in the mind of an infant,

I work with timber, from falling the trees to selling you the floorboards etc.

Me I still get a little buzz out of falling trees and drivin the skidder, really does make me feel like a child again (the feckin thing is massive)

mike65

To good for AH tbh, All things Retro!

My dad had such a an obscure technical job (Specialist Metallurgist in quality control) that I can safely say I never thought it was cool or wanted to do likewise though my lack of skills in maths and chemisty would have put paid to that anyway.

I think when I was a child the idea of being a train driver or Astronaut was still exciting (big steam locos were still a recent thing when I was a nipper and Casey Jones was on Saturday morning television). The idea of flying to the moon was obvious enough I think.

Mike.

Pighead

Fcuking hell that is a long long long post!

Thankfully Pighead has a tried and trusted method of turning a long long long post into a short snappy succint one in a matter of seconds.

Its simple. Just pick out the first word in random lines throughout the long long long post and before you know it you've got to the nub of what the OP's trying to ask.

Do my springs like his drill bits? Dad often fairies builders.

All Pighead can say OP is that gayness isn't hereditary and theres a strong chance that this is just a phase you're going through. Chin up buddy.

pickarooney

funk-you wrote: »

My dad was in the army so when the kids were playing "my dad can beat up your dad" i'd have great fun with "my dad drives a tank!"

-Funk

Damn, your dad wins! Only an attack helicopter could possibly beat a tank, and even then... it's like a combine with a cannon.

Estella

That was a great post OP. My coolest job ? Plain old sweet shop owner.

Pighead

Pighead wrote: »

Fcuking hell that is a long long long post!

Thankfully Pighead has a tried and trusted method of turning a long long long post into a short snappy succint one in a matter of seconds.

Its simple. Just pick out the first word in random lines throughout the long long long post and before you know it you've got to the nub of what the OP's trying to ask.

Do my springs like his drill bits? Dad often fairies builders.

All Pighead can say OP is that gayness isn't hereditary and theres a strong chance that this is just a phase you're going through. Chin up buddy.

O dear.... rofl Pighead.

Seriously though OP I can see what your saying & for my dad it was a no-no. I always wanted to be a soldier when I was a kid then I did decent in school and got a pretty decent LC but missed out on my first choice so I took a year out. I tried to join the army to fulfill my ''dreams '' but I failed the medical because I had flat feet.... *SNiff sniff*

Dave!

Sorry mate you're gonna have to summarise that for me..... Preferably cut it down to 3 or 4 words please. Cheers lad.

DaBreno

Steet Sweeper. Always wanted to be one rather than go to school.
Also Icecream-man, Astronaut, Tank driver.

Mahatma coat

funk-you wrote: »

Thanks OP, i always wondered how country kids survived boredom in their childhood. You painted a good picture. I don't think you're all so weird now.

-Funk

same as how We countryfolk wondered what the townies did all day with no fields ta be runnin around in

funk-you

pickarooney wrote: »

Damn, your dad wins! Only an attack helicopter could possibly beat a tank, and even then... it's like a combine with a cannon.

Dear old Papa Funk, had a great love of blowing things up.

-Funk

funk-you

Mahatma coat wrote: »

same as how We countryfolk wondered what the townies did all day with no fields ta be runnin around in

Felt up girls mostly, that and football/nintendo.

-Funk

Mahatma coat

Ok there werent as many Girls available to be felt up in the remote wilds of South Wexford, but we tried

as for the other things, Hurling and Sega

Fratton Fred

Train Driver must be one of the coolest, or bus driver Maybe Fireman driving around the country rescuing cats from trees.

My daughter doesn't understand what I do, nor do I really. But because I carry a laptop home everynight my mother in law likes to tell people I work with computers:rolleyes::D

ojewriej

Liked your post too, OP.

For me it was a policeman - my dad was one. Having a gun in the house was good for impressing mates - even though they never got to see it really. Also getting a lift to school in the police car etc. I thought the policeman are the coolest, toughest people in the world.

Also, fella seling tokens in tha arcades seemed pretty cool when i was 8.

Lola123

When I was very little I wanted to be a fairy princess popstar sweetshop owner.
Then it was fashion designer/rock star... this lasted a few years. I even sang in a band for a bit.
Then it was forensic scientist.... I never even did science but I wanted to be in CSI before there even was a csi!
Then it was criminal psychologist.

I currently work in a bank.

ScumLord

When I was young I wanted to be night rider, or a bull. Mooooooooooooo!!

The_B_Man

business man.

source

all i'm going to say is that i'm doing the job i always wanted or at least training in the job i always wanted, and it's great.

Nightwish

My dad was in the army and did stints in the middle east but I never for one second thought that his job was cool. I thought crane drivers were cool, sitting up there in the sky looking down on everything. I also thought pyrotechnics people had the best job ever.

omahaid

Coolest job from a kids point of view eh? I reckon it must be vampire hunting astronaut spy ninja (surely).

Shelli

I wanted to be a vet who drove an ice-cream van at the weekends!

Still my ideal career all these years later

Doctor DooM

Great post OP.

When I was a kid I wanted to draw comics.

My parents seperated when I was young and my dad used to get his quality time with me by visiting the old forbidden planet, where I would zoom around the old wooden floors looking for Iron Man and American Transformers comics, while he read the grown up books. I'd then spend the afternoon explaining them to him. god he must of been so bored!

I have drawn as long as I can remember, and obviously I started drawing the images from the books.

I used to love being able to create things out of the mad imaginations of my brain... to this day when I want to relax, I still do a few scribbles.

Sadly I also ended up in IT- I did work in a toy shop for a while though

Hellm0

When I was growing up I wanted to be several things at different times, a doctor, an astronaut, a dictator and a movie director. Early on I developed a liking for computers which developed into a successful career(despite my dropping out of school in 5th year and never finishing college).

kaimera

pyrotechnician was a pipe dream of mine

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I wanted to be... a treeeeeee.....

Ross_Mahon

Soldier, A spy like James Bond, A pilot, President Of A Small Crappy Country

Foolish i was...:rolleyes:

kaimera

Ross_Mahon wrote: »

Soldier, A spy like James Bond, A pilot, President Of A Small Crappy Country

Foolish i was...:rolleyes:

Foolish indeed; why a small crappy country?! Where were your dreams of grandeur?

Ross_Mahon

kaimera wrote: »

Foolish indeed; why a small crappy country?! Where were your dreams of grandeur?

I'm talking about taking over Ireland...:D

kaimera

Ross_Mahon wrote: »

I'm talking about taking over Ireland...:D

Heh. Just need to transplant some of your family here and you'll be fine

lucylu

A nun .:o

My older brother was going to be Pope ..... Now an Atheist !

eoghan h

Astronaut obviously!!!

Still an incredible career...

TheBlock

I wanted to be a pickarooney....do you know where the name comes from?

Cokehead Mother

Prostitute. Thank Julia Roberts for that.

macbarbie

Cokehead Mother wrote: »

Prostitute. Thank Julia Roberts for that.

wow... thats inspirational.. i can jus imagine the senerio....

mammy wen i grow up can i be a prostitute......??

( mam passes out...lyin on the groung with her mouth open)

well yeah like that mam except il use a bed... thanks mam... il take that as a yes....

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

macbarbie wrote: »

wow... thats inspirational.. i can jus imagine the senerio....

mammy wen i grow up can i be a prostitute......??

( mam passes out...lyin on the groung with her mouth open)

well yeah like that mam except il use a bed... thanks mam... il take that as a yes....

mother comes round
"jaysus, for a second there, I though you sid a protestant.... yeah, fine... go for it...

macbarbie

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

mother comes round
"jaysus, for a second there, I though you sid a protestant.... yeah, fine... go for it...

aaaahahaha brilliant!:D

whatsgoinon

a doctor to be like my dad, but he said no way was a daughter of his going to be a doctor and if i did by some miracle get into medicine, he wasn't going to pay for me to do it.

then i wanted to be a nun, until my mam pointed out that I hated going to mass.

When I was 8 there was nothing more I wanted to be than a long distance lorry driver, reckoned I could see the world from my cab, and how much fun it was going to be sleeping in it and meeting all kinds of people on my travels with my big P&O container, still kind of have that dream....

MooseJam

lol I'm not reading all that, fireman

randylonghorn

pickarooney wrote: »

The worst thing was if your mother or father was a teacher.

pickarooney wrote: »

You couldn't help it of course, but teachers were by and large the enemy. Even the seemingly nice ones, you couldn't trust, and if you couldn't trust the parents, well... how can you expect a child to keep a secret from their mammy when she's also the mistress?

Because she had the cop-on and decency never to ask? ... more, to point out that she NEVER wanted to hear stories from school in the house.



Me, I always wanted to be a world-travelling daredevil archaeologist ... too many Indiana Jones re-runs I guess, my mother loved those films!

pickarooney

TheBlock wrote: »

I wanted to be a pickarooney....do you know where the name comes from?

Nope. I just found it one day while rootin' through some rubbidge, so seein' as noone was usin' it...

bangersandmash

omahaid wrote: »

Coolest job from a kids point of view eh? I reckon it must be vampire hunting astronaut spy ninja (surely).

His hat comes right off! FAKER

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

I wanted to be... a treeeeeee.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uukM5A8GwKE

flanum

surely most kids want to be digger or crane drivers?

i fulfilled my childhood ambition by working in a zoo briefly!

Cokehead Mother

flanum wrote: »

surely most kids want to be digger or crane drivers?

Maybe in the pre-Pretty-Woman world.

phasers

Ice cream man or astroanut


yessss

Batman... That is all.

slipss

"Do you have the kind of job that kids want to grow up to do?" Yes, but only the really bad or clever kids.

"Are you doing what you always hoped you'd be when you were a wee 'un yourself?" Yes, I always wanted to be either this or a footballer.

Bunnywabbit*

Pathetic Story....

When I was younger, I wanted to work in Woodies cause I thouht it was cool....
Now I work there.....


Yeah I'm a freak