What I Wanted to be When I Grew Up by Jacob

What I Wanted to be When I Grew Up by Jacob - June 2017 Scholarship Essay

As a young boy I grew up raising pigs and sheep. I however did not live on a large farm in the country, but my parents thought it was very important to teach my siblings and I how to work. One of the many chores I had to do as a young six year old, was cutting firewood. I loved going out to the wood pile with my dad and spending hours hacking away with my own little hatchet. I was so proud of myself when I actually got a log to split in half, particularly since as a young child I rarely could muster the force needed to split a log. I would watch in awe as my dad would cut each log with a single ax stroke and looked forward to when I was strong enough to do that.
It seems to be the stereotype of little boys to always want to be an astronaut or a professional athlete. However when I was asked what I wanted to be I would proudly tell people "I want to be a Wood Cutter". Looking back on these memories always brings me joy and I have come to realize that the real reason I enjoyed cutting firewood was because it was time I got to spend with my dad. He was the one who showed me how to hold the hatchet with my little hands and swing it safely. He was always watching to make sure I was safe and would give me little pep talks to keep me working even when I got a little blister on my hands. These experiences taught me that while I may have wanted to grow up and be a Lumber Jack professionally, what I really wanted to grow up to be was my dad.