Who Else I Might Have Been and Could Still Be?

I could still be whoever else I might have been.

I remember telling my sixth grade teacher, Mr. Mulligan, that I loved music and computers, and that when I grew up, I wanted to do both. Mr. Mulligan's response was, "John, you can be whatever your heart desires!" That really made my day and I live by that everyday.

I could have been a musician because I remember being good at it - I entered grade 11 strings in grade 9 playing the double bass, and played in the all-city orchestra for four years. But, the call of technology was just too great at the time and I followed that half of my then dream. Today, I find myself contemplating piano lessons at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

The phrase, "I could still be whoever else I might have been" does not mean I could still be anyone (although I'm sure I could be a fraction of anyone if I put my mind to it). To me, it means I could still be anyone I aspired being but have not become. That aspiration often stemmed from childhood but does not have to be.

Before becoming a realtor in 2001, I dabbled in real estate as a user and investor of real estate. Dabbling is a word I equate to hacking in the technology world. I hacked at real estate. I aspired to be a realtor but hummed and hawed until I decided one day to just do it and registered for the first course and then the next and the next. I've now been practicing for five years and loving it. However, I find myself hacking at the law. I'm very knowledgeable in real estate law, but it's far from the knowledge a lawyer would have. I'm humming and hawing...

I have dreamed all my life of at least being able to read Chinese (to write would be a bonus) and to speak Mandarin. I have to admit, I have not had the will-power to take that first step towards this daunting task. This fall I will register for a Mandarin class at the University of Toronto.

I am very blessed and extremely grateful to have a wife who cooks for me. I thank her after every meal, but wouldn't it be great if I could cook a decent meal for her, for once? This desire is hampered by the fact that she won't let me in the kitchen (probably because I'm such a terrible cook). That cooking certificate at George Brown College looks tempting...

Then, there's that book I aspire to write...

Can I go back and wish for more hours in a day?!!

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