It is
not unusual to begin a conversation with a complete stranger. The conversation
can be brief or extended, and can take place anywhere – on an airplane; while
standing in line; at a family gathering with relatives you haven’t seen in a decade.
After
the usual pleasantries (weather, this line is interminable, how are we related?,
etc.), it is not unusual for the conversation to turn to what we do for a
living. Almost inevitably, when I express that I am an architect, the response
is: “I always wanted to be an architect”, or, “I wanted to be an
architect when I was little”. Or, “ I seriously considered being an
architect, but……....” It’s uncanny.
When I was little I wanted to live on a farm and ride
horses all day and have my mother take care of my children (this is still
something I want to do). Everyone dreams of a future, and it seems almost every
little girl wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up, or a doctor or a
teacher. I recently had a conversation with someone I didn’t know, and
discovered this person is a veterinarian. I thought ‘that would be a
really cool job’. It was at that moment that I understood the response, and the
raised eyebrows and inquisitive look I typically get when I express that I am
an architect.
It is really cool being an architect. We see the results
of your work in 3-dimensions, meet interesting people we would never have
contact with, and explore beyond the boundaries of what we know. Many of us like to
travel, and sketch.
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| Little boat in Yarra Harbor, Victoria |
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| Lady Elliot Island, Queensland Lighthouses: 1860 (foreground), 1992 (background) |
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| Coral, Lady Elliot Island |
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Fraser Island, Queensland
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| The world on a stormy day in Lennox Head, NSW |
