A Year-End Reflection

Now that Christmas is over and 2010 is coming to an end, it seems particularly fitting to devote some time reflecting on the past. Since 2010 was not a great year for me, I thought it would be fun to take a look at what 10-year-old Kim wanted to accomplish with her life and see how that has panned out. ‘Cause sometimes you have to look backwards if you want to move forward (but not if you’re driving of course).

 

 

 

 

Kim the Figure Skater:

Dorothy Hamill and Brian Boitano made figure skating look so easy. Sadly, the combination of slippery ice and poor balance made ice skating nearly impossible (and incredibly dangerous) for me.

Kim the Gymnast:

Let’s face it, Adult Kim has no athletic prowess, but Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton’s popularity and appearance on the Wheaties cereal box inspired 10-year-old me to believe I could be a gymnast too. I practiced all the time on logs and curbs and pretty much everything that resembled a balance beam. I even took several gymnastic classes, but I was never agile or graceful enough to master gymnastics. Besides, those leotards gave me the worst wedgies.

Kim the Whale Trainer:

My love for Whales started when Humphrey the Humpback Whale mysteriously entered San Francisco Bay and ended once I saw a whale up-close at Marine World. I was called down to pet the whale’s tongue, but upon getting a closer look at the gargantuan beast, I panicked and ran back to my seat. I realized that day that whales are scary as hell. All I could think of was this:

Kim the Veterinarian:

Though my fear of whales began at age 12, my love of animals persisted. When I was 18, I followed my veterinary dream by volunteering at a Vet Clinic. I was hired shortly after as an assistant technician. My duties evolved to the point where I was even assisting in surgeries. That proved to be quite difficult due to my tendency to pass out during surgical procedures. That little tendency earned me the nickname “Shrinking Kim” at the clinic.

Kim the Comedian:

From an early age, I could crack up my friends and family. My grandma even referred to me as her “little comedian” at one point. Unfortunately, my crippling stage fright and tendency to blush dramatically sends me into a dumbfounded panic when standing on a stage in front of people.

Kim the Actress:

The same can be said for acting. I’m great without an audience, but without that audience all I’m doing is strutting around like a jackass and talking to myself.

Kim the Farmer with a million animals (lots of dogs):

Hey, you never know. Maybe this dream will come true someday.

Looking back over these silly dreams from my ten-year-old self, I realized that even though I:  a) still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up and b) haven’t accomplished all that much at this point, I am one thing – happy. Sure, I don’t have a glamorous job, but I have a stable one. I might not have an Athlete’s contract, but I have a gym membership. I don’t work for a vet clinic or live on a farm, but I do work with sick and injured dogs through volunteering at a dog rescue. My house might not have a million animals, but I have two amazing dogs and a foster dog or two running around most of the time. All in all, that’s not too shabby.

Happy New Year everyone! I’m looking forward to a wonderful 2011 full of personal growth, good health, and satisfaction.