(Blame it on mama, she made the uniform)
I have always admired the
folk who KNEW what they wanted to be when they grew up and worked toward that.
Most everyone I looked up to as a child were military. I admired my brother’s
uniforms.
I never thought of another profession from about
5 years to 16, I always wanted a uniform. As a boy you don’t know of the many
jobs in the military, you just think of carrying a rifle, obstacle courses,
inspections and war.
When I was old enough to
forge a birth Certificate I started the process. Looking back the recruiters
had to know I was a kid. I looked 13 or 14. Much later I learned that a
recruiter is under tremendous pressure to meet a quota, so they took me. I was
caught at the swearing in. The SBI agent
didn’t have to try hard, he scared me. I had broken a few laws, forgery, etc. A
few months later with mama’s signature I made it. I got my vacation on Parris Island.
LOL
(Look at the kid on the right, we washed out clothes with a scrub brush!!)
It was then I learned there were other jobs in
service other than the infantry. I had a good friend who was a cook. I was a
field radio operator. After two years in the USMC, I thought I had had enough
of the military. It had not been all that much fun. LOL
But after two months of
looking for a job I found one. It paid
at $1 an hour stuffing ‘This Week’ magazine in the Sunday Funnies. I had just
turned 19 and had a pregnant wife. I still wanted a uniform. I joined the USAF.
I have had many jobs, careers or occupations since
that time but I did total 20+ years in the USMC, USAF and USN.
After trying a couple
more jobs, Hotel Maintenance and running a Roach Coach (Catering truck), with Sherry’s
suggestion and approval I got into building. I found my love. I was 42 years
old and once I realized this was my real dream I was the happiest I had ever
been at a job.
I have met builders who knew at 15, they were
going to build. I admire that. Some of
us WANDER thru a lot of life. I’ve seen the saying “All that wander, are not
LOST!” I think of old Davy’s saying, “Not
lost, but bewildered some.” I guess that
was me. LOL
If you hit your heart’s
desire on the first try, I am proud for you. Some of us had to wander for a
spell. LOL My journey was definitely not
a waste. I enjoyed the many situations I was in. I had a good time, most jobs I
even thought this is IT! But when I found a hammer that fit my hand, I was a
happy guy.
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7 comments:
Gosh, to actually identify - then achieve a dream sounds wonderful.
Never having had a clear-cut idea, I suppose I took the "lazy lady's" route. Nevertheless, it's been a great ride. Some of my dearest memories are feeling a part of a bigger picture -- with co-workers who became dear friends.
I wouldn't have missed it for the world!
Its good you did find your passion with building and you had a supportive wife with Sherry "allowing" you to pursue it! I always wanted to be a secretary; I didn't really see college in my path to achieve it, so I didn't go. I did pretty darn well as a secretary and then as a transcriptionist. What I didn't realize was that the industry would change as a transcriptionist. I thought I had a skill that was secure. Sadly, technology and so many other reasons has not made it so and a once valued profession has been run to the ground. I wouldn't have believed it if you said this to me a mere 10 years ago (hubby did, I didn't listen). So like I said in my post, I'll muddle through. Hoping to muddle through to age 62 when I can take early retirement....but we'll see :)
betty
Some people never find their calling and spend their life searching for it. you are lucky you found yours.
I always like the picture of our Brothers sitting on the moon. When we were very young they told us they went to the moon and had their picture made and we believed them. I would tell everybody that my Brother's went to the moon.
When I got older I figured out it was taken in a studio.
You are one of the fortunate ones to have discover a job you love. Not everyone does, but only go to work and endure it as a way to make a living. I had a job I loved and still do that of being a mom. It was my ambition in life from the time I was young. There certainly are many benefits to the job that I loved, but the hardest part has been loosing a son. It's one thing I never even considered before.
I still want to be a nurse when I grow up. There is no way I can afford to go to school because I have to work. I could go to night school but then I would have to give up my day job to do clinicals. I honestly doubt I could even pass the test to get into college. But hey, I can still wish. When I was little, I wanted to be a Trash man. Hahaha.
From rainy Gtown
Lisa
I love that you kept going ' after it ' until you realized your passion was building. Mine also, but in a whole different capacity. I loved the way Mom ' built ' our large family, ' taught ' us daily how to be good Christians and find a piece of happiness in each day. I admired it so much that motherhood and the many professions paid only with love, was the one I endured the most. Whenever asked to list previous jobs, wife and mother were at the top of the list, followed by ' domestic engineer.' College trained for 2 yrs. as an elementary teacher, then a respiratory therapist, nothing meant more than being MOM. It remains the same.
love from our overcast north.
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