Life's winding road

[Fuzz]

Considering some of the things I did in my teens, I'm surprised I've made it to 33. Wanted to be a pilot ever since I was a little kid, but money was tight and lessons were expensive.

Went to a selective high school and somehow managed to graduate despite underachieving. Second surprise was getting into uni for a BSc in Physics and Electronics. Sold "adult" paraphenalia to pay for my tuition. Uni students were definitely an untapped market, paid off a whole semester from one young lady's purchases alone.

Dropped out of uni and kinda bummed around a bit doing odd jobs here and there; sold lingerie and sleepware for a clothing company, was a car salesman, a data entry clerk, and warehouse stock picker. Took a job working for a bank doing mortgages and securities in 1999, though I had to quit after numerous disagreements with my manager. At the end of 2000 a I took a temp job at one of Australia's most evil multinational coporations (if you believe the media hype) and strangely enough, I'm still here after 9 years. Recently promoted to an associate project manager position.

Maybe I could have done more, but I wouldn't give away any of the experiences I've had over the years. Still dream of getting my pilot's license, and maybe one of these days I'll fulfill that dream.

[gfoster]

Got fascinated and mesmerized by my first glimpse of a computer when I was a teen (something like 30 years ago now, so that was when they carved transistors out of wood...).

I dove into computers head first (like I do everything that I get interested in, it seems). I decided I wanted to be a software engineer. I took a detour through the navy, nuclear trained machinist mate working on fast attack submarines. Went to welding school, studied water chemistry, got out and supervised a quality control team for a plastics plant. Left there and went to coleman and drove a forklift for awhile. After that I drove a truck cross country for a couple of years when coleman laid half the plant off. Always managed to do some programming work on the side as an independent consultant and always managed to make a little bit of $$$ off of it.

I finally got fed up with all that crap and moved to california and went to work at Toyota as a computer programmer. Two years later I moved to Sun and have since worked at eBay, various startups, worked at a game company, etc. 30 years after seeing my first computer and going "oooh, shiny" and I now have a couple of patents and a very nice resume, with a job as a software engineer and software architect at yet another startup. It's not that cool anymore and has devolved into (mainly) just another grind.

It's still *occasionally* cool but not nearly as cool as sitting in my backyard smoking a cigar, drinking a glass of scotch and watching my dogs chase each other and play with the chickens. Wish I could get paid to do that instead.

-- Gary F.

[arnehd]

I was about ten , and had'nt worked yet, when I read Matt Groening's " Work is hell." I was eventually convinced and wanted to be a son for the rest of my life.

Then I landed in University and found my way out, eventually. Now I work 60+++ hours a week in a big, freaking ugly building. I can't complain, eventually I learn lots of new things and when I'm not decompensating I like what I'm doing.

The money is sufficient to buy a cigar every now and then and to pay the rent for an appartment, with a nice balcony to smoke cigars on. In a couple of years I will be an orthopaedic surgeon, but thats still a long time. And there are so many opportunities and interesting things. Until now, I can't really regret anything!!!

[cgarner]

I'm doing the exact job I was seeking after graduating from College. I guess I'm one of the lucky few.

[scinmyheart]

did the usual, obligatory college route having no idea what I wanted to do after graduating

had a blast in college and after graduating in 1980, jobs were tight for the "general business major with no specialty"

have just floated around the next 30 years working in corporations and smaller businesses with no real purpose, drive or goal

now, at 52 I still don't know what I want to do in life...but I'm okay with that because I'm married to a wonderful lady, fortunate enough not to have any children and none have knocked on the door wanting past child support, and most of all I'm still alive and walking around with a cigar in my hand

[Ellery]

Lets see, in high school, wanted to be a pharmacist. Did 2 yrs of undergrad and worked as a pharmacy tech and hated it. Decided to going into nursing. Eventually went to grad school and now working as a Nurse Pracitioner.

Currently I am a partner in a private practice. Overall, still enjoy what I do, and love going to work everyday.

[Wiley]

I went to college for Anthropology and Fine Arts. My father said, "Don't be a bum! You'll never make any money doing that stuff! Let's you, your brother, your mother and I start a software company!" "But I don't know anything about computers!" That was 23 years ago. Now our software company has clients all over the US, and we have over a hundred employees.

[Ryan]

I had no idea towards the end of school what I wanted to do. I found out later that my father was hoping I'd take over his pub. I'm lucky that I'm still glad I didn't and I think he's happy I didn't too.

He sold it 10 years ago and while there are aspects of it I miss (I started working there when I was 9 collecting glasses, pulling pints at 13) I'm glad it's not my living now.

Chose physics in college, kind of for the hell of it. There were no jobs in Ireland in the late 80s and Intel had just opened a semi-conductor plant here. Got my degree and didn't fancy 12 hour shifts in a clean room so I went to Liverpool to do some graduate work. Got a job there playing guitar in a pub and that supported that year. Back to Dublin, played in a blues band for a year or so until we sobered up enough to realise we were crap. There was a good blues scene in Dublin back then. We weren't part of it.

Next I did a brief stint with the Irish nuclear energy board, which is odd as we never had nuclear energy here. It was more licencing and testing, you'd be shocked at the range of industries that use/used radioactive sources. It's now more aptly called the radiological protection institute.

In 1992 a US Senator Morrison managed to wrangle 16,000 green cards for Irish citizens. These were given out by lottery and I managed to get one.

Off to Chicago I went, thinking the others in the band might follow. Of course they didn't. Spent six years there doing quality control for an air conditioning company, had great fun and then decided that if I was going to have kids, I wanted to have Irish kids.

Moved back to Dublin in 1999 having saved enough to buy a house here.

Over the years, regarding what to do for a living, I investigated everything from guitar making, to a sandwich bar to running a donkey sanctuary(seriously)

Now I write banking software, I've got two great kids, a very patient wife and I live around the corner from where I grew up.

Most of my friends I've known since I was 10. My mother loves the kids and I still get to go the pub every now and then with my old man, who turns 90 next year, and have a laugh about the old days.

It could be worse.

[Alberto_Magnus]

Really lots of great stories, it's very inspiring. Thumbs up to Prez for starting it.

I'm 33 now.

Since childhood I've always been into Humanities, reading a lot, developing from as early as the age of 5 a passion for religions, languages and literature.

I entered what in Italy we call Classic High School (studying Latin, History, Philosophy etc.) with a linguistic edge (I studied English and French for 5 years, German for 3) plus maths, phsyics and stuff. Tough school I can tell you that!

As early as the 4th year (in Italy high school lasts 5 yrs) I knew my working life would (hopefully! It's Italy after all) be in the humanities. When I left school I joined the University, faculty of Philosophy, got my M.A. there and then my Ph.D

I am a scholar in Western Esotericism in particular but that doesn't pay the bills as the University world in Italy sucks serious a**, so I also got a job as an English teacher at the local branch of the Cambridge University ESOL examinations.

So I divide my time between being a teacher and researching old and weird Sanskrit or Hebrew manuscripts, and what's fun writing about it Hope I can do that for a lifetime.

[habone]

Just a mindless welder!

[gsmoke]

What an amazing topic. So helpful to know that so many of my gentleman peers have the same ongoing doubts about their careers, mixed with the pride of providing for loving family...

As for me, I can distinctly remember as a child reading books about planets and stars dreaming of becoming an astronomer. I might have sensed how much math and physics it takes to go that route, because I can remember even more days pretending to be a famous journalist interviewing playboy bunnies and the like.

I ended up studying art, film, and photography in college all while writing and editing for the college newspaper, which led to me starting a jazz magazine after graduating, and running that crappy little publication for almost 3 years until I just couldn't afford to live off credit cards anymore. After a few design and desktop publishing jobs I ended up doing more editing for the web during the dot com boom and I am still working in this crazy online world.

Not a day goes by without me wishing I could either be a working, published novelist (earned my creative writing graduate degree in between all this) or owning an espresso bar, or just something -- anything -- that I love so much that it doesn't feel like work. I don't like "work."

Lately, I keep flashing back to memories of my mom telling me I should be a lawyer while arguing my way out of punishment for something I clearly did, and I just shudder at the notion of going down that road, nearly 40, with two girls, living in NYC. But if there is anything I have learned over the years is that I love -- almost insanely so -- a good challenge.

Thank you, my friends for the opportunity to chime in on this fantastic topic.

[cigcars]

*Well, I'm not a triple trillionaire (yet), but I have accomplished the bulk of my goals important to me. I'm in my 50's now and can be happy that I am a retiree with a little piece of pension now - (my job was a bit dangerous, so they let us retire early before we get seriously hurt!). I've got a degree (Bachelor's in Communication Arts) which has not done me one bit of good whatsoever in getting hired anywhere else. I've remained childless by choice. I know children are a gift and when they come along it's like, "Oh what did I do before I had you!" But, gentleman and ladies...I can't go through all that. Why should I be the one who doesn't have a tragedy like so many parents do? I'd never survive that. I'd never survive that first "phone call" - they could be calling to tell me he/she just won the spelling bee. The way my mind works..."Oh no, he's dead. He's locked up. He's gotten into something bad..." So no bundles of joy for me. I'm single, doin' OK, and have my beloved, otherwise unobtainable Habanas. And close family who can tolerate me! And YOU guys at FOH.

[matt14]

Left school at 16 in `88 and joined the army, was in limbo for 10 years not knowing where I was going but knew I wasnt going to be a lifer. Got to see parts of the world, some better than others had a steady income, stayed fit and got a trade!

Left in `98 and started as an ROV pilot tech for a UK company drifetd over the UK for a few years, Aberdeen, Plymouth (where I am from) and London, eventually went on a job in Vietnam in `02 and stayed down there, its the longest i have spent in one place since I have left school.

Went freelance up until the end of last year and now work for a Chinese based company as a vessel Superintendent. Time away is a downside, but after 6 weeks offshore the 6 weeks off makes it worth it, a normal nine to 5 job would destroy me.. Spent a few years brinking beer and chasing girls but eventually got married 17 months ago.

[jay8354]

Wow, Where to being?

Was a sterotypical Asian kid who migrated here in the 80s.

Found that for some strange reason, I have gone from doing poorly at my old HK private school to being the top kid at my new school.

Got into the same selective school as Fuzz and after a year, had a minor mental breakdown (known only now looking back) from over-pressuring parents.

Managed to get myself together somhow, worked out who I am as a person and what i wanted to do in life.

Decide on Graphics Design for Uni, only manged to scrap in by the seat of my pants.

While in Uni, got a part time job working at a small Asian advertising firm.

Realised that half my lecturers had no idea what they were teaching and the other half stoned most of the time. So Quit with a year left to graduation.

Stayed with the advertising firm for another 2 years and finally quit due to being paid peanuts.

Went back to Uni, graduated in Graphics.

Decided that I did not want to do advertising.

Went to study IT, then the IT bubble burst.

Bummed around for 1.5 years, most depressing period looking for a job.

Finally got a job in the Big Blue at the most base level in IT and worked my way up. Then my whole department was let go (relocated to Melbourne).

Worked for another service company servicing the Bank as a Server Build engineer - Best time of my life.

After awhile moved to Project management position with help from my former manager.

New Job was good, however the team has no heart and the manager ... well ...

Looking for a new opportunity instead now.

However, I still have hope that Fuzz and I will open a classic Drive-up Roller Hamburger Joint eventually.