The other night, Jordan came and plopped down on my bed, all serious like.
He wanted to talk.
As much as he can be like Eddie Haskell, every now and then I see a rare glimpse of a serious kid under that grin and class clown mouth.
He told me he had been reading his Bible a lot lately, for his required reading.
He said he was giving a lot of thought to next school year.
“I’m going to get a 4.0. That’s a big deal, right?”
“Yes,” I said, “that’s a big deal, you can start next week if you want, no need to wait.”
He ignored me and kept on talking.
“A 4.0 in high school would help me get into a good college, right?”
“Yes, I said. (That a big, fat scholarship wouldn’t hurt either.)”
“Hmmm,” he said. “There’s just one problem. I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.”
I laughed a little and said, “well, short of being a rock star or football player, not many people know what they want to do when they are 12.”
“I think I’d like to do what you do when I get out of college.”
That got my attention!
I beamed with pride.
My husband is an engineer on a boat. I work in HR. He chose MY profession over the engineering? Wow, I was so impressed!
A few years ago, he and Chase had asked what my ‘job’ is.
It dawned on them that apparently I am Toby (?) from the tv show The Office, which brought howls of laughter.
I guess for the moment, it seemed Jordan had decided that being Toby isn’t so bad?
“What makes you want to do my job,” I asked, curious as to what had made heaven and earth move to such extremes.
“Well, you seem like you get paid pretty darn good, and it doesn’t seem to hard, and you seem to meet some cool people.”
I couldn’t disagree with any of that.
“Yep, you are right I said, all of that is true. You will know more though when you’re a little older.”
“I know he said, but I really think I want to do what you do.” 
Maybe he thought I was making out the family will that night or trying to score brownie points.
It totally worked.
He got up to leave, gave me a hug, told me goodnight, and started to walk out.
Just as he was leaving, he turned around and said, “Hey, mom?”
“Yes (current favorite son, I thought, your rank in the family just went up a few nothces…)?”
“What IS your job, anyhow?”
Couldya hear that popping sound as my professional bubble just instantly deflated?
Great. Good thing I’m not a pole dancer.
If you enjoyed this post, get the e-mail version, follow my Working Mom series, or become an Examiner yourself!
Follow me for the next 4 weeks as I take part in the Gotta Love Chevy, Mom Needs A Time Out blogging project! There will be daily give aways and prizes! Come on over to our Facebook Group!
Or visit my friends over at Munday Chevrolet, here in Houston! Tell them Shannon sent you!
![IMG00596-20091224-1150[1]](http://www.showmethemom.com/wp-content/themes/canvas/thumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/2009/12/IMG00596-20091224-11501-671x1024.jpg&w=35&h=35&zc=1&q=90){kind=small}
![IMG00363-20090822-1313[1]_thumb](http://www.showmethemom.com/wp-content/themes/canvas/thumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/2009/08/IMG00363-20090822-13131_thumb.jpg&w=35&h=35&zc=1&q=90){kind=small}
[New Post] When I Grow Up… – via @twitoaster http://www.showmethemom.com/2010/01/when...
via Twitoaster
Stopping by from SITS….sounds like you’ve got a great kid. The fact that he’s even THINKING of college and what he wants to be at 12 is a good sign.
Sandy´s last blog ..Don’t Make Me Hurt the Pie
Wow! That’s awesome he is already thinking about that. When I went to college, I started out in accounting and then realized I’m NOT a numbers person so I switched to HR. I worked in HR for a few years before becoming a SAHM. I loved working in HR.
It’s funny, my hubby also compares any HR person to Toby on The Office! I kinda see his point…sometimes!
Jen Gacek´s last blog ..Superbowl Sunday
See, I don’t really watch the Office. Except when I go to HR conferences, and they always show a clip from The Office, because it’s so incredibly anti-HR, and they always show the one where it’s Diversity Day, where everyone hold the card on their forehead? I have to admit, that always leaves me in stitches.
I’m not sure Jordan is cut out for HR. In fact now that I think about it…he’s gonna be the one who HR is looking out for, with that mouth.
Funny as always. Bonnie forwards these to me now and again but I just signed up to get all of them. Thanks for the awesome entertainment!
Bridget (Bonnie’s friend from church)
Todo dinбmica y muy positiva!
Gracias
Dougles