Yesterday my son and I were talking about people and jobs and how everyone has to do something during the day (or night) to make money to buy food, pay their bills, and buy things they want. I made it as simple as possible.

He looked out our back window and some city sanitation workers were there and he said, “I want to work outside and do that when I grow up.” I said, “Are you sure?”. Then he said, “Uh. No. I want to own a restaurant and cook all the food”.

And in my mind I was saying to myself, “Phew! That’s better!!!”.

I sure didn’t want him aspiring to have one of the nastiest and stinkiest jobs around. Have you people seen the show dirty jobs and what these sanitation/sewage workers do? Granted, it’s a service job and somebody has to do it but, you know what, I want better for my children.

So, our 6 year old son wants to be the chef of his own restaurant. He says he’s going to have food from all around the world. He says his special recipe is going to be bologna-filled lobster sandwiches. Maybe he’s onto something here?

I should have known he would have said chef since he loves helping me cook, is always on his Mamaw’s kitchen counter tops helping her make dinners, loves trying new recipes, and he has his very own cookbook.

It’s clear that right now his inspirations are Spongebob Squarepants (a cartoon fry cook that works at the Krusty Krab), Iron Chef, Rachel Ray, and of course his Mamaw who adores cooking way too much and has always wanted her own restaurant but is a nurse instead.

It will be fun to share this with him when he does grow up. Maybe he will be the next Bobby Flay…