“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Even the loftiest answers seem possible to a child while dreaming of his or her future, according to Ellen Langas, youth career education advocate and author of the Girls Know How® series.

With every new generation of young women, we see an advance in mindset that brings them one step closer to true freedom when it comes to choosing whatever careers they want. But recently I saw a shift so dramatic that I was truly rocked by it.

“Do you want to see me print someone?” the Great Fredini asked the audience, which responded with energetic applause. “How about you?” he said. I looked to my left and right, but knew he was talking to me. The crowd’s enthusiasm grew and I heard myself say “okay” -- more like a question than an answer.

What’s inside the box, Mom? It was New Year’s Day, and my daughters, who were about 7 and 8 years old at the time, were filled with curiosity as I pulled a black vintage suitcase down from the top of our basement storage shelves and plopped it on the floor with a weighty thud.