Page 92 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2015

thank heaven for little girls
story by Lynn Lofton
photos courtesy of Teddy Lewis and YLynn Meadows Discovery Center
I want to be...
ears ago French actor/singer Maurice Chevalier sang “Thank heaven for little girls,” followed by the line “for little girls get bigger every day.” Today we might say thank heaven that little girls getting bigger can aspire to be anything they
want to be. The sky is literally the limit and the options are wide ranged.
Some of the women featured in this Women in Business special section told us what they dreamed of being when they were little girls. Amazingly, at an early age some knew exactly and followed that career path.
For instance, Julia Olivares, owner of BLOWN Salon
in Biloxi, said, “I grew up watching my dad grow his business and become a successful entrepreneur. I always wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a successful entrepreneur myself.”
Bay St. Louis realtor Holly Lemoine-Raymond said, “Strangely enough, I always knew I would do something with development. I’m not great at putting my vision on a sketchpad but I can paint a word picture that makes properties come to life.”
Amber Lord, owner and stylist of Rouge Salon in Ocean Springs, said, “My diary as a little girl said
a hairstylist and that’s exactly what I’m doing!”
Although Kearn Cherry, vice
president of operations for PRN
Home Care, didn’t become a nurse
as she wanted to be in elementary
school, she’s not far off with a degree
in occupational therapy. “I have the privilege of working with nurses through our company,” she said.
Then there are those whose lives took a different route from their childhood dreams. Linda Cotton, co-owner of California Drawstrings in Bay St. Louis, simply said, “A jockey – enough said!”
Kristi Bass, a realtor with Fidelis Realty in Biloxi, said, “Dancing was my dream. I dreamt of moving to New
York, dancing on Broadway or becoming a Rockette. I soon realized New York was not for me. I was not a good actress, and I was too short to be a Rockette.”
We asked some local young ladies what they want to be when they grow up. Some are surprisingly very specific. It’s not at all unthinkable that these little girls who are sharing their dreams with us will fulfill those dreams and do exactly what they say they’ll do when they reach womanhood.
Nine-year-old Life Lewis of Gulfport plans to become a photographer and help her dad, Teddy Lewis, run his
business someday.
92 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2015 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
WHEN I GROW UP
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