This was one of the biggest questions that faced me as a young child growing up – and I’m sure most of you over the age of 18 have too. Being a big question also means it’s a hard one to properly answer, as the answer is based largely on influences; the vast majority of them external – though this can vary from household to household, depending on the child’s upbringing.
But I’m not here to prattle on about the dynamics of that – I’m here to prattle on about how my answer to The World’s Biggest Question was formed, discarded, and rebuilt countless times to this very day.
2004
For a couple of years, I lived right by Lake Ontario, in Etobicoke. Like a lot of little boys, I loved observing planes and read numerous books on them. The idea of being able to soar high above the clouds and go from one country to the next sounded cool, and so being a pilot appealed to me.
Conversely, the love of all things four-wheeled and fast led to me briefly wondering what it would be like to race a cool-looking and loud-sounding car at high speed.
2011
As I read more and more books, flora and fauna took over from technology and mechanics, and my love for God’s amazingly beautiful creatures became the forefront of my answer to the big question. After watching the movies Free Willy and Dolphin Tale, I gained an immense love of dolphins – which also led to me writing my first novel, Dolphin Island.
2013
Frequent walks and encounters with misbehaving dogs in my neighborhood led me to yearn for change through learning and teaching people the proper way to handle their pets, and through binge-watching Cesar Milan I wanted to gain the same level of love for dogs as he had, and enrich the lives of those who owned them.
2017
Creative cinematic content on YouTube was taking off like a Saturn V rocket, and I loved how it could be used to tell stories in an engaging way. I started watching numerous YouTubers (Devin Supertramp, Parker Walbeck, Peter Mckinnon, etc.) and wanted to do cool films like they had… only to be crushed by the reality of the immense costs and other factors. More on this in an upcoming post.
2020
Amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, I returned to creative art and started reading, watching, and observing, now with a more objective and rational outlook. Like many other potential look-ins, this one was quickly shunned due to the limitations of the Islamic rulings on drawing, as well as the general difficulty in business networking and finding a secure grip on job stability.
Two opportunities – WordPress and computer networking sprung up in the same year, and I started gaining joy and hope, given that they gave me actual results. I learned how to create and present contracts and invoices, and used the money I got from my first WordPress client to buy myself a new bed (I’d been sleeping on an old foam mattress directly on the ground prior).
Computer networking gave me an opportunity to devote time to learn something new in stages and apply it in a real-world case scenario – similar to schoolwork. However, I was able to secure only two clients thereafter.
Towards the end of the year I got a colossal opportunity with a doctor who was looking to start a clinic with various services and a membership plan. Over the course of 17 months, I gradually built up the website and published it live. With an hourly rate, I racked up several large invoice bills for him to pay me. At last, I wasn’t doing some small favors – I had landed myself an actual job. A job that paid well and allowed me to purchase groceries for my family.
2022
I felt comfortable talking about business terms, and could proudly and comfortably state what I do for a living if any average Joe were to ask me. I felt confident in my abilities to plan, design, build, and test a WordPress website, discuss with potential clients about my services, purchase and transfer domains and webmail, explain the importance of a secure network and its benefits, and create and send out invoices and contract documents.
2023
Designing and building websites feels repetitively boring, and I hope to focus primarily on cabling and installation of network hardware.