My journey into the cockpit of an airplane didn't start with a profound cosmic calling; it started in a sixth-standard classroom with a stolen dream and a split-second pivot.
The Stolen Dream
It was a typical day in school when a new teacher walked in and asked the class the age-old question: "What do you want to become?". At that time, my heart was set on the stars—I wanted to be an astronaut.
I shared my dream with the "nice guy" sitting next to me, who cheered me on. But as the teacher got closer, this bugger stole my answer word-for-word right when it was his turn to speak. In an instant, my original plan was gone. I felt the need to stand out, to be different, and to impress.
In that moment of teenage competition, I thought to myself, "Astronaut is not possible today. What is the next best thing?". I blurted out the first word that came to mind: "Pilot.".
Crafting the Identity
To make my pivot convincing, I had to back it up. I spun a story for the teacher about my uncle in the Air Force and a deep-seated love to serve the nation. The teachers were impressed, and suddenly, "Pilot Leonard" became my brand. It was an easy answer that saved me from having to think about it again for years.
At sixteen, my vision of being a pilot wasn't even about the physics of flight; it was about the Facebook likes. I imagined the uniform, the status, and the comments I would get. It was an ego-driven dream that eventually collided with reality when I discovered the actual discipline required through flight simulators and a month-long 30GB download on an 8 Mbps connection.
The Major Takeaways
This classroom pivot taught me several life-defining lessons that I still carry into my work at I Crew and Wingman today:
The Power of the Pivot: When your first choice is taken or feels out of reach, don't stop. Find the next best thing and master it with so much discipline that the world forgets it was ever your second choice.
Destiny in Isolated Events: Success isn't one grand event; it is a series of small, isolated moments—a classroom question, a mobile game on a mother's phone, a long download—that eventually add up to a career.
Stewardship Over Pride: Whatever wisdom I carry was given to me. Whether you start a journey for the "wrong" reasons (like social media likes), if you are a faithful steward of that path, it can lead to a destination far greater than you imagined.
Registration is Not the First Step: Just as I called myself a pilot long before I flew "Victor Tango Oscar Foxtrot Sierra," you don't need formal registration to start building your identity or making money. Build your platform first; the official status follows.
Space may have been too far that day in the sixth standard, but the pivot to the cockpit was exactly where I was meant to be.
Fin.
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