User Panel
Posted: 5/2/2019 8:40:44 AM EDT
I know a lot of military veterans do it because they have to. However, that’s a small percentage of the population. I’m considering going back to school and learning to be a rock hound. Mainly looking at the study of volcanoes and seismology. Pretty sure I would end up poor though so I might settle for something practical like welding/pipe fitting/ machining. I’m not one for sitting behind a computer all day in cubicle hell. It crushes my soul. I like results in a finished product that’s tangible.
So, if you could or have just said f it and shifted gears in mid life what would or have you done? More importantly, why? |
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I would never take my eyes off the Lord that my Grandma, Aunt, and Mother did their best to expose me to as a young feller
Thank God for 2nd chances, 3rd chances, 4th, 5th, and so on.... Edited to add-- Darn good thread |
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I've started over several times.
I still don't know what the answer is. Make money or be happy working jobs so I could play when I was young and healthy? I chose the later. It was a good call for me. I enjoyed doing things that there is no way physically older retired people could do. |
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I would have made my living as a pilot and lived in a bliss of ignorance about the airplanes.
I often wonder if I would have been happy working as a fishing and hunting guide. That was almost as important to me as flying at one time. I would have spent a helluva lot more time in fresh air than getting soft in the cesspool of an office full of people I don't like much. I would still have my old sense of humor, too. |
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I always wanted to be a paleontologist after reading books by Roy Chapman Andrews. Now, I don't have working knees, so that would be tough. Or, maybe I wouldn't have turned down a scholarship from State Farm. But, if I had gone another route, I would have never met my wife.
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I am doing it all over again. Starting police academy at the beginning of 2020. I tried the corporate life for about 5 years now, made and thankfully saved lots of money. Time to do what I've always dreamed of.
Let's hope I don't regret it |
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I know a lot of military veterans do it because they have to. However, that’s a small percentage of the population. I’m considering going back to school and learning to be a rock hound. Mainly looking at the study of volcanoes and seismology. Pretty sure I would end up poor though so I might settle for something practical like welding/pipe fitting/ machining. I’m not one for sitting behind a computer all day in cubicle hell. It crushes my soul. I like results in a finished product that’s tangible. So, if you could or have just said f it and shifted gears in mid life what would or have you done? More importantly, why? View Quote I would go to high school, and then join the swim team I missed out on a lot of shit during what would have been my high school years I didn't even go to 9th grade, I got my GED when I was like 14 or 15 or so Eta oh I see I misunderstood the context up the thread, I only went by the thread title, as to the actual topics discussed I'll let you know in about 15 years |
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Dentist.
Everyone I know makes bank and works about 6 hours a day. |
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I always wanted to be a paleontologist after reading books by Roy Chapman Andrews. Now, I don't have working knees, so that would be tough. Or, maybe I wouldn't have turned down a scholarship from State Farm. But, if I had gone another route, I would have never met my wife. View Quote Or you'd have gone for a coffee one morning as a teen and been hit by a bus. The butterfly effect is personal, too, and real in a lot of ways people don't appreciate. |
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Dentist. Everyone I know makes bank and works about 6 hours a day. View Quote Last year we had an engineer pull the plug to move to the Arkansas side to guide fishing along the White River and lakes. My wife's cousin quit his corporate job at Walmart in Bentonville to guide fishing. Smart guys. |
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Started over so many times it's ridiculous.
I wish I had just picked a trade when I was younger and stuck with it. Skip college. A high paying trade that was physically safe. Bank the money and retire young and healthy. |
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Humm... I would have beat up a few liberals so they understand what a tyrant is.
I wanted to be a pilot until I went to a jr college and they had an aviation program. I started the program and two commercial pilots came during one of the classes to say what to expect. Think one was from Delta and the other was from Eastern Airlines.. What I found out was I would have been a big bus driver in the sky and have crappy pay for 10 years before I got a decent route. After this I had no clue what I wanted to do so Uncle Sams Misguided Children schooled me on my future career. Needless to say I still use that training today so I have no regrets. I now have a heart condition and would never pass an aviation physical and I got my CDL taken away so figure it was for the best in the long run. |
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What? I went to college at least and graduated with a degree Eta oh I see I misunderstood the context up the thread, I only went by the thread title View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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Idk but 25 years of slogging g thru this shit is soul crushing . It's 9 am I'm sopping wet and filthy . |
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I am doing it all over again. Starting police academy at the beginning of 2020. I tried the corporate life for about 5 years now, made and thankfully saved lots of money. Time to do what I've always dreamed of. Let's hope I don't regret it View Quote Have friends that are not cops, do non cop stuff, and keep your book face free of blue line stuff and it will help. Very rewarding if you can fend off the negativity and escape from it. If I could go back with get on with the southern company or .mil at 18 and stick with it. I would almost be retired. Remember running into a buddy who didn’t go to college and took a job at Georgia power out of high school. Of course everyone looked down on him. While we were all $$$$$ in debt from college with no job. He was vested, lived with his parents until he bought a house straight cash. Wish I could give the guy a high five now. |
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Humm... I would have beat up a few liberals so they understand what a tyrant is. I wanted to be a pilot until I went to a jr college and they had an aviation program. I started the program and two commercial pilots came during one of the classes to say what to expect. Think one was from Delta and the other was from Eastern Airlines.. What I found out was I would have been a big bus driver in the sky and have crappy pay for 10 years before I got a decent route. After this I had no clue what I wanted to do so Uncle Sams Misguided Children schooled me on my future career. Needless to say I still use that training today so I have no regrets. I now have a heart condition and would never pass an aviation physical and I got my CDL taken away so figure it was for the best in the long run. View Quote |
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https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/223987/image000000_jpg-931609.JPG Idk but 25 years of slogging g thru this shit is soul crushing . It's 9 am I'm sopping wet and filthy . View Quote |
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I would have joined the Coast Guard and been retired on a full pension by now, and hopefully found a gig Captaining a charter boat.
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Something in a science where I could do experiments, collect data, analyze the collected data etc.
Unfortunately I am waaay too far behind on math to even consider anything that requires an education in a science field. |
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I would befriend William Shatner. Like besties.
Whatever the fuck I'm doing, it's gotta be better doing it with Shatner. Think about it. You're sitting in a bar. A friend walks in, and says "sup man (all cool and shit), holy fuck ! Is that fucking Shatner...ssuuuuuup (all high pitched and giddy)! That's what happens, when you hang out with William Shatner. And yes. For new members, you can use that as a sig-line. |
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My Dad often said if he could start over he'd be a hermit.......
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You edited mid post. You just said something about swim team. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes |
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I would have made my living as a pilot and lived in a bliss of ignorance about the airplanes. View Quote I just have trouble recalling it... I would have started flying earlier and maybe hit up my dad’s cousin (ANG General) to see if he could get me a waiver for vision so I could have flown F-4’s in the Guard. But, for some reason, the Lord has taken really good care of me and blessed me with this career. Zero complaints. My GF is stuck in a crappy job at a crappy company. I feel your pain if you’re in the same situation. TC |
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Start over under what conditions?
Since I'm self employed, I start over every single day. If I could go back to a given point in my youth and start over, and assuming I retained my current memories and skills and simply got to start over in the past, say 1984 or whatever, then I'd go back down some paths that I did before...and not fuck it up. Time passes no matter what you do. Do what benefits you in the long run because the day will come when the rewards come...OR NOT. It's up to you to chase those rewards or waste the time. |
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I wouldve went to college on the full ride that I had for baseball instead of being a fkn dumb teenager
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I'd stop drinking 25 years earlier.
No matter what else I did life would have been better. |
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Ignored my Mothers wishes and pursued a career as a heavy equipment operator. It's the one thing I really enjoy doing and it seems to come natural. Mother pushed me in to the office world and IT. 25 years of soul sucking.
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Fair statement about being a pilot, @Mach? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Humm... I would have beat up a few liberals so they understand what a tyrant is. I wanted to be a pilot until I went to a jr college and they had an aviation program. I started the program and two commercial pilots came during one of the classes to say what to expect. Think one was from Delta and the other was from Eastern Airlines.. What I found out was I would have been a big bus driver in the sky and have crappy pay for 10 years before I got a decent route. After this I had no clue what I wanted to do so Uncle Sams Misguided Children schooled me on my future career. Needless to say I still use that training today so I have no regrets. I now have a heart condition and would never pass an aviation physical and I got my CDL taken away so figure it was for the best in the long run. Anybody that thinks it is like driving a bus either has no clue or are purposely massively understating the job. I did it for the pay and the time off, both of those are gone. Everything has it's advantages and disadvantages. There are a lot of both as an airline pilot. The good: You don't have to sit in a cubical and do office work or go to meetings. You don't have to drive to work everyday and sit in rush hour traffic If you are lucky eventually the pay is ok. once you have seniority you have control over your life you can work more, or work less and pick the days off you want can live where you want if you want to commute long distances. The bad: You have to pass an FAA medical every 6 months or you don't have a job You get tested every year and must pass or you can lose your job starting pay sucks everything works by date of hire seniority you can not switch companies, you can but you start at the bottom so you are effectively tied to the company sink or swim. lot's of pilots get furloughed when the economy tanks in the beginning you have no seniority and no life the airline has no holidays away from home alot work back side of clock alot living in hotels sucks if you fuck up you can kill people you aren't paid enough for what you do. you are around thousands of people a day and when you get sick from being exposed to thousands of sick people hacking up a lung, the company harasses you for being out sick. sitting in a chair all day is bad for the back there is no ejection seat I wish i had done something else. |
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Shut your whore mouth! I know a whole lot about airplanes. I just have trouble recalling it... I would have started flying earlier and maybe hit up my dad’s cousin (ANG General) to see if he could get me a waiver for vision so I could have flown F-4’s in the Guard. But, for some reason, the Lord has taken really good care of me and blessed me with this career. Zero complaints. My GF is stuck in a crappy job at a crappy company. I feel your pain if you’re in the same situation. TC View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I would have made my living as a pilot and lived in a bliss of ignorance about the airplanes. I just have trouble recalling it... I would have started flying earlier and maybe hit up my dad’s cousin (ANG General) to see if he could get me a waiver for vision so I could have flown F-4’s in the Guard. But, for some reason, the Lord has taken really good care of me and blessed me with this career. Zero complaints. My GF is stuck in a crappy job at a crappy company. I feel your pain if you’re in the same situation. TC Remember that government regulations are minimum requirements. Not a gold standard. |
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https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/223987/image000000_jpg-931609.JPG Idk but 25 years of slogging g thru this shit is soul crushing . It's 9 am I'm sopping wet and filthy . View Quote I worked on a survey crew one summer. I got an easier job the next year: cutting lawns. |
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Something in the firearms industry, or something with flight. Both have been a hobby/passion of mine since I was 5, but I chased the money instead. It pays the bills, provides me with the disposable income to properly save for retirement, take care of my family properly, and have my Hobbies, but I often wonder if I would be much happier doing something related to those two fields.
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Id have done mostly the same thing. Id have still joined the military at 17, except id have stayed in and not gotten in and out multiple times. Id have stayed in and left active duty after 20 years. Then probably started looking for a wife, and thinking about having kids at 40. I think it would have worked out a lot better had i waited until later in life to get married / kids etc.
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I'd save every penny from the age of 5 and sink it all on Monster Beverages stock in 2001.
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I'd tell the cute little girl in reception that, "if I had it to do over I do it all over you."
But she'd kick my ass and call the cops so I'll hobble forward. |
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I don't really know, but I'm very burned out on software and technology in General. Very, very burned out.
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I am happy where I am so I would keep my same career path, but instead of a worthless degree in CJ I would have actually gotten something useful as a backup plan, and maybe studied a trade as a side thing. I also would have started investing and maxing out my roth from day 1 of working. And then crushed all the pussy I only later found out was into me. I was a dense one growing up.
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