I remember anchorman Ernie Bjorkman when I was a kid, that's how long he's been a fixture on the Denver news scene.

Well, he got laid off from Fox or Channel 2 or one of the lesser news channels, but he was preparing for retirement by finally pursuing his childhood dream: to work with animals.

He always wanted to be a veterinarian when he grew up, but one thing led to another and he got into broadcast journalism. Thirty years later -- at the age of 56 -- he started a veterinary technician program at a local community college. He went to classes in the morning, and to his job anchoring the news at night.

He's now making the talk show rounds with his story. Check him out on Ellen.

And by the way, aspiring writers, the Examiner.com website is the latest venture for Phil Anschutz, headquartered here in Denver, and on the way to hiring 12,000 contract writers. It's like a cross between About.com and YourHub. 9News touted it as an alternative employer for all those soon to be laid off Rocky Mountain News writers, but something tells me there won't be too many transitioning over. Egos, y'all.

This is an interesting one to me, since I put my career in advertising and marketing aside to have kids. (Well, I freelance, but you know how the day can get eaten up by a two year old...) By the time my kids are in school full time, in five or six years, will I be able to find a job in my field? Or will I have been out of the job market too long? Or will I still find advertising and marketing rewarding anymore? What did I want to be when I grew up, anyway?

What do you want to be when you grow up?