What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

This is a standing question in The Guardian's decades-long The Q&A and also recurs independently in career and life interviews.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

@aliabbasi
A pilot

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Shinya Yamanaka Stem cell biologist; Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, 2012
I was born in Osaka, Japan. It was 45 years ago. My father has a small factory in Osaka, and we lived next to his factory
Recorded Academy of Achievement interviewer, Academy of Achievement interview, 2008 source ↗
Mary McCartney English photographer and cookbook author
A nurse, because my grandmother was a midwife. I was named after her but never got to meet her.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 February 2022 source ↗

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Question What would you like to leave your children? Death & what remains
I want to leave my children three foundational tools to navigate the world: Life skills: The practical capability and independence to take care of themselves, solve everyday problems, and handle adult responsibilities with ease. Confidence: A self-belief rooted in resilience, knowing they have worth, deserve to take up space, and can handle failure without letting it define them. A sense of humor: The ability to find levity in life's absurdity, laugh at themselves, and keep perspective when things don't go according to plan. If they leave home with these three things, they'll have everything they need to build a meaningful life.

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