Anything but a software engineer!!

The blog title should explain it all. Today is one of those days when I think why did I become a software engineer. (I should admit that there are days when I think 'Thank God, I'm a software engineer').
It's a nice relaxing Saturday and here I am working on my office stuff, the muted TV in front of me. The code is one of those frustrating, seemingly easy, taking the life out of you with the problems it reveals, where none of your 100 solutions work!!

So I thought, I'll take my eyes off the taunting code editor for sometime and blog something. (Of course, there is a parallel thought process at the back of mind thinking about a 101th solution to the problem)
For this post, I thought I will blog all those so-called "ambitions" that I had when I was a kid!! Hmm...so let me start thinking.

1) A singer - There have been many times when a rolled up magazine wouldbecome my mic and I would sing away to glory. Not only that, I would serve as the host too who would introduce "The singer Janani". All until my mom would shout at me to shut up and study!

2) Social worker - There have been innumerable occasions when a group of young children on the streets of the town where I grew, Salem, would bring this thought into me -"When I grow up I would run an organisation to provide these children food,education and health. And I would come again here and take them with me to that place".

3) An engineer - No...not a software engineer! I would see the bright yellow helmet that my dad used to wear during his shopfloor supervisions and would think - "Wow! that looks cool. I should become like him when I grow up!"

4) Doctor - Don't ask me why I wanted to become one! I wouldn't have even managed to cross past half of it with my patience levels!! I used to be fascinated by the stethoscope.

5) Cook - This was purely triggered by the recipes that I used to read in the children's magazine "Gokulam". It used to be the same recipes again and again - Crumbled biscuit pudding (I still remember my brother spitting out the pudding I made!!), Bread balls and so one.

6) Hair stylist/Beautician - This was one of those wishes that lasted for a very long time! I used to style my mom's hair during her afternoon naps. My brother too became the victim of my skill once. I promised him a step cut and at the end his hair was shaved out in patches. He was shocked and cried out loud. But you know what he was blamed for having shown his head to me.

Thats pretty much the list. Can't think of anything more. Time to sign off. My code is beckoning to me and I am going to move to it reluctantly, thinking why I couldn't have become one of the above!!