“When I grow up I wanna be a Captain, I wanna be a star, I wanna grow taller…”

Lyrics of a song just edited a wee bit for me. These words “when I grow up” come up in some many conversations daily that it has got me thinking a lot about this. What does this actually stipulate? I mean little children say this all throughout primary school and then high school and college. Even adults are still saying this when they are in their late 20’s and 30’s. So many people these days want to be someone other than who they are right now. Some want to be taller and skinnier, some want to be beautiful so that they can meet Mr Right, fall in love and have children while some just want to be a different person to who they are now. Why do we all want to different? I don’t understand this. I mean we have all been uniquely created with hand crafted gifts and talents placed in each of us, none like any other in the world, our creator wasn’t sleeping when he thought of us. We all have our own inner and outer beauty that defines who we are as people. Who else has your nose or your eyes? What about your thumbs and fingerprints, are there any more like yours?

I must admit some days I look into the mirror and cry out to God for just a little bit more height and less weight. What good does that do though? I only feel let down when my height doesn’t come and my weight just sits there. It is when I learn to be happy with who I am that I am able to stop saying that “I wanna…?” I do say I wanna be a Captain one day but that is in a different context. That context is in a living your dream context. This photo is of me and my current Captain on the Arahura getting ready for a tank inspection during a lay-up time in Wellington. So now is the time step up another level and move aside from saying “when I grow up” because your whole life is about growing up, living and learning each day.