I was thinking about career choices I have made over the years. First off I’m thinking maybe I should have sold ” Grit ” magazines. I remember seeing their ads in the back of comic books. Could have gotten a regular route. The boy in the ad got a new bicycle and still had money. A missed opportunity I suppose. Didn’t know of anyone else selling them in town either. I did spend some time looking for that elusive silver dollar that was worth thousands. Had  big pictures of that on the back cover of a lot of magazines.
Then there were those matchbook covers about going to art school. Draw the pirate and get a free evaluation of your artistic talent. Never did draw that pirate but I always suspected the art school would have told me I had great potential. I was skeptical even then. Maybe I should have done it, now I’ll never know. Could add it to the bucket list but I don’t smoke anymore so no matchbooks. Guess they still make them.
Back in those days you didn’t see a lot of ads for going to college. Now you can’t avoid them. Get your degree online and all that. Never set foot in a classroom, never even open a book ! I suspect if you really wanted a degree you could just buy one. Check e-bay they got everything. No, career paths back then usually involved selling something. Am-way, fuller brushes, Avon and such.
Now, I chose to join the Navy. Higher education was not an option. Besides I could get training for free and get paid while doing it. Sounded like a good deal to me. I went to some schools and learned about steam propulsion systems. Started having a lot of fun and didn’t really avail myself of all the opportunities available. Hey, I was young. After the first four years I thought I would go home. Went there,got married and got smacked in the face with reality ! I did learn the basics of a trade, upholstery, but made another choice. Went back in the Navy. Wasn’t as much fun the last sixteen years but earned that retirement. It was a career, although I never thought of it that way. It was a job to me.
Since that time I have held a few positions. Mechanic and Public works employee. As I approach the age of Social Security the need for a career looms ahead of me. Guess I had better get cracking on that. I see some ads to go back to school and earn that degree. Of course there are those ads to become a photographer ! Take a few shots and e-mail them in and receive a free evaluation. I’m thinking I have potential. Might have to get new glasses though. The ads promise a fulfilling career and recognition. Well maybe Grit magazine still needs a few more distributors. Or Boys Life. Have to check that out. Wonder if kids read magazines like that anymore ?
The path I have taken to get here certainly has been diverse. I would have to say I have enjoyed it. Don’t they say the journey is more exciting than the destination ? I think so. In the end I would like to be defined not by what career I had, but what I did on the journey.