Ambitions..........

Arno wants to be a window cleaner when he grows up.

WHAT? SAY IT AGAIN!!! 

Boy, what a shock! Where did WE, as parents go wrong? How on earth did we not manage to fill his young mind with golden ambitions? Did I not read him the correct bed time stories? Did we not buy him the LEGO where you make a dentists office or a police station? Did I not graduate him from a 100 piece to a 200 piece jigsaw in time?Did I not try to explain the meaning of a volcano "from the Encyclopedia" when the Iceland volcano erupted?

I know, times have changed. I understand the dignity of labour. I appreciate all people who work for a living. I know that no work is big or small. I know, I know, I know.
But still................
Why am I shocked when my 6-yr old says this?

Thankfully, his 10-yr old and 11-yr old cousins (A & C) were also quite shocked with this ambition. They, at this age have graduated into the "want-to-be-scientist" mode.[One of them DID want to sit at the supermarket cash, but thats some years back!!!!]  

Anyway, they generously offered me a deal. Arno was planning to spend some vacation days with them. During that time they promised to do a bit of brainwashing and put several "good" ambitions on his plate.

"A" asked me "which profession do YOU want him to choose?"

After some negotiations we decided on a "race car driver".  

[It needed to be "cool" , you see?]

So Arno goes on vacation to his cousins place. We go to pick him up after a few days. "A" comes to me and whispers, "Mamoli, tumi jeta bolle sheta hoyni kintu ekta bhalo hoyeche (The thing you decided on did not happen but we have landed on good grounds)".

I gather all my curiousity and the question is asked.

"So Arno, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

" I want to work at the Police station"

WOW..I was already feeling proud...father smiled, mother smiled, family peace returned.

I smiled proudly at Arno first and then at A & C, silently thanking them for their "successful" brainwashing.

It may not be as cool as the "race car driver" but it was SO MUCH better than the window cleaner!! 

I should have left it at that.

But you know how mothers are....their is no limit to their expectations and there is no end to their questions.

"So , would you want to be a police inspector or a detective in the police station?"

" Oh, I would clean the windows of the police station."