Growing up I always wondered what I might do with my life but nothing every grabbed me and ignited a passion. It took me years of struggling and foolishness before I was able to decide the direction I wanted to take. That being said I never had an all-consuming passion from an early age for anything (except possibly for drawing) like some people have been lucky to find. I see my grandchildren now and I wonder as much as they do in what direction they may go. Through the centuries people at very young ages have done some amazing things. I thought I’d pass along a few of them today. Read these, then look at your kids and grandkids, and try and guess where they’re headed.

At the Age of 2

• Tenzin Gyatso is declared to be the Dalai Lama.

• Judy Garland launches her stage career.

• Husan-t’ung becomes the final emperor of China.

• Isabella the second ascends to the Spanish throne.

At the Age of 3

• Tiger Woods shoots a 48 for nine holes on his hometown golf course in Cypress, California.

• Albert Einstein speaks for the first time.

• Ivan the Terrible becomes the Grand Prince of Moscow.

• Alice Lindell first meets Charles Dodgson (pen name of Lewis Carroll) who was the inspiration for the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

At the Age of 4

• Kim Ung-Yong, with an estimated IQ of 200, speaks fluent Korean, English, Japanese, and German.

• Andre Agassi hits tennis balls for 15 minutes with Jimmy Connors, then the world’s top player.

• Malcolm Little – who later changes his name to Malcolm X – watches as his family’s home was burned down by members of the Ku Klux Klan.

• Bob Hope emigrates from England to the United States.

At the Age of 5

• Debra Wilson, mountain climber, skills a 4000-foot peak.

• Christopher Robin Milne hears the first “Winnie the Pooh” story, with himself as the main character, made up by his father, A. A.

• Charlie Chaplin appears with his mother on the vaudeville stage.

• Christina becomes the Queen-elect of Sweden.

At the Age of 6

• Shirley Temple receives an honorary Oscar for her contribution to film.

• Marie Grosholtz – better known later as Mme. Tussaud – first works with wax.

• Warren Buffett, peerless Wall Street investor-to-be, earns profits by selling Coca-Cola to his friends.

• Ron Howard stars as Opie in TV’s The Andy Griffith Show.

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gives keyboard concerts across Europe.

• Clara Hirschfield, called “Tootsie” by her father, a confectioner, is honored to have his new candy, the “Tootsie Roll”, named for her.

NOW FOR ME

Age 2 – Discovered I liked milk and my first breast.

Age 3 – Discovered my hands and feet.

Age 4 – Learned my first curse word.

Age 5 – Drew my first sketch.

Age 6 – Created my first ridiculous cartoon character.

SLOW BUT STEADY PROGRESS