Childhood Dreams at Five: What Did You Aspire to Be?

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up?

At five years old, I probably wanted to be The Little Mermaid. I loved the music, the story, and the classic fairy-tale ending. I’m pretty sure most kids at that age wanted to be a Disney princess, and Ariel was mine.

At first, I was drawn to the fact that she was a mermaid, living under the sea. But what really captivated me was her character. She was strong, determined, and never gave up on her dreams—even when the world around her didn’t quite understand her. Yes, she could be whiny and immature at times, but her courage and curiosity outshone that.

Even as a kid, I was different in ways I didn’t fully understand. My imagination mostly lived inside my head, and I wasn’t very expressive outwardly. My idea of fun was to play “work.” I’d sit by the sandbox and pretend it was my office—typing, filing, calculating. I was already observant, intuitive, and curious about the world, just like Ariel. Looking back, I see that her courage and determination mirrored the part of me that was quietly dreaming and exploring, even if no one else saw it.

Ariel’s story resonates with me now in a deeper way than I could have realized as a child. It’s about freedom, finding your voice, yearning for acceptance, and the desire to fit into a world unknown. These are the same things I’ve always wanted: to be free of the burdens I carry in my mind, to find my voice and use it to be heard, to exist as myself and be accepted.

It’s essentially the journey I’m on now… wanting to be part of your world.

“What did your childhood dreams reveal about the life you truly wanted to live?”