So back in your younger days...

[rivermobster]

Would you have done what you recently learned, but didn't know about back then?

My example..

My daughter's boyfriend is on a Hotshot Crew. He fights wild land fires in remote locations.

He just got back from a month in Alaska, fighting a big fire up there. He back east somewhere at this point.

If I had known about this job, I would have been all over it!!!

He's in phenomenal condition. Beyond fit. Works all summer and is off all winter. Does all kinna crazy runs in the winter to stay in shape. Does jiu-jitsu and weight lifting as well.

I'm jelly.

What job would you have done, if you knew about it, back in the day??

 

[Roosky01]

I'd have started as a green deckhand on a big yacht and worked my way up to the big seat.

 

[The Prisoner]

I'd have started as a green deckhand on a big yacht and worked my way up to the big seat.

i wish I knew about computer programming so I could invent Facebook and you could captain MY yacht

 

[MK1MOD0]

Well back in the day I DID the best job I the world. I joined the Navy as a young man and became a SEAL. It literally was the BEST job there is . Traveled the world, played with the most bad ass epuipment there was, blew more shit up than I can remember and was paid to work out and be in world class shape. Yea.... I wouldn’t change a thing.


ps. Yes I’ve met Wes.

 

[Gramps]

Rivermobster...........I did exactly what your daughters boyfriend is doing.........and STILL at it 52 years later or at least still doing admin work for a fire department. Gland I did it then and glad I'm doing it now.

 

[77charger]

I blew a couple good opportunities for sure. Would have payed off today still did fine and in good place but I thought loyalty would have done better.

 

[ElAzul]

I would have invented Onlyfan's

 

[sintax]

Yup, would have gone the Fire Fighter route as well. Not hotshot, but just gotten on with an Orange County CITY, not OCFA

 

[endobear]

Took some laps with my old bosses shifter cart team and did really well. Had raced dirt karts years before.
He offered me a full sponsorship and travel to and from the races. They raced all over the country.
I declined, do to being slammed with work in my 1st years of starring my business, making good money, dirt biking and snowboarding whenever I wanted.
They went on to Midgets then Sprint Cars with the driver I smoked in the shifter karts.

 

[mjc]

If I had better eyes I probably would have joined the Air Force to fly their/your planes. It would have been just after vietnam ended.

 

[poncho]

Yup, would have gone the Fire Fighter route as well. Not hotshot, but just gotten on with an Orange County CITY, not OCFA

Ran equipment on a few forest fires, those HotShots are the real deal, worked ate and drank alongside them.
Took advanced Firefighting in my mid 40's and found out I was a natural, second day of camp was made team leader and the two instructors told me you missed your calling and it's not too late, I felt they were wrong....sometimes I wonder.

 

[Lavey5150]

Fireman. 4 days on 4 days off,etc-I'm a cracker and affirmative action murdered that dream........

 

[lbhsbz]

Fireman…the only job where you get paid to sleep

 

[JayBreww]

Wouldn’t change a thing.
Although I definitely wouldn’t work for the Feds like he does.

 

[Yldboyz]

I wish I would have joined the Navy and got a little bit more life experience. I chose to go through the Sheriff Academy and college instead.

I feel I would have had more opportunity's after I finished school.

 

[wash11]

I always regretted not joining the military. Other than that, the long and twisted path of jobs/careers has me doing exactly what I want to be doing. Great conversation topic though

 

[Yldboyz]

Fireman…the only job where you get paid to sleep

So true, the stories my father in law tells us are mind blowing.

He had planned his retirement and had one foot out the door. The Chief position opened up and he applied and was like if I get promoted I'll stay on 3 more years... long story short, he was promoted and worked the 3 year minimum they required for pension pay outs. He's retired now and makes the exact amount of money as if he were still working.

 

[SOCALCRICKETT]

Spent some time as a traveling paramedic. I enjoyed having a home station but now I realized how I could have been paid to see other parts of the nation and see how other EMS/Fire agencies work

 

[Magic Mike]

My brother in law asked me to go to Rio Hondo fire academy with him when we were about 20. I had a family business and said no.
He’s $300k plus now and close to retirement…

 

[timstoy]

Fireman. 4 days on 4 days off,etc-I'm a cracker and affirmative action murdered that dream........

I was in the same situation. Applied for Long Beach and LA county fire, both departments asked me if I had a relative or friend in the department. When I said no they said there hands were tied with affirmative action requirements. Looking back I think I was descriminated because I was white!

 

[JUSTWANNARACE]

Would you have done what you recently learned, but didn't know about back then?

My example..

My daughter's boyfriend is on a Hotshot Crew. He fights wild land fires in remote locations.

He just got back from a month in Alaska, fighting a big fire up there. He back east somewhere at this point.

If I had known about this job, I would have been all over it!!!

He's in phenomenal condition. Beyond fit. Works all summer and is off all winter. Does all kinna crazy runs in the winter to stay in shape. Does jiu-jitsu and weight lifting as well.

I'm jelly.

What job would you have done, if you knew about it, back in the day??

I was a hotshot when I was younger, a Sawyer the majority of the time. also did firetrails, slash burning, pile burning, ect.. for Menasha Timber Corp and Weyerhaeuser when I was right out of high school.. it's cool for awhile but takes a toll on you later in life! Ask my lungs but yes it was a blast and the most fit I ever was!! I have the up most respect for any "wildland" firefighter!!

 

[bilz]

I would have started a river boating web site, bought a shiada with a triple axle trailer and F150.

 

[JUSTWANNARACE]

i wish I knew about computer programming so I could invent Facebook and you could captain MY yacht

You mean... "I wish I had a friend smart enough to create facebook so I could screw him and take everything!"

 

[Todd Mohr]

Fireman for sure, 2000 people testing for 28 openings, top 10% in the written. Walked out of the physical training when they were announcing over and over "if you are a minority or a woman don't be discouraged" after hearing that about 10 times an hour I got pissed. I was setting the fastest times in all the tests, I just felt like it didn't matter, they just needed the affirmitive action hires. I got a call a couple of days later from one of the instructors, he said I had no chance in that hire, but I should try again. I told him it would be hard for me to trust my life to co workers that were hired for the wrong reasons. My heart was not in it 100% so I moved on, without a doubt the dumbest decision as a young man.

 

[PlumLoco]

Would you have done what you recently learned, but didn't know about back then?

My example..

My daughter's boyfriend is on a Hotshot Crew. He fights wild land fires in remote locations.

He just got back from a month in Alaska, fighting a big fire up there. He back east somewhere at this point.

If I had known about this job, I would have been all over it!!!

He's in phenomenal condition. Beyond fit. Works all summer and is off all winter. Does all kinna crazy runs in the winter to stay in shape. Does jiu-jitsu and weight lifting as well.

I'm jelly.

What job would you have done, if you knew about it, back in the day??

Ask him if Kanani Hocking is on his team? I think her Dad was telling me she had been in Alaska for a while now. Her record with the forestry department for wild boar kills is unmatched. She is a true bad ass as are all the Hot Shots.

 

[92562]

I was in the same situation. Applied for Long Beach and LA county fire, both departments asked me if I had a relative or friend in the department. When I said no they said there hands were tied with affirmative action requirements. Looking back I think I was descriminated because I was white!

You definitely were. My brother (whitey) was LAPD and the academy test is only good for 12 months. If you don't get an academy date in time you must retake the test and rest of the crap. On day 363 from taking his test (where he scored in the 99th percentile) he finally got an academy date. In his class was a Puerto Rican woman who took the test just 2 weeks prior and passed with the minimum score. They wouldn't let her have a firing pin in her gun because she didn't pass the psych eval. But, they got diversity!

 

[Taboma]

Had a vasectomy at 18, on 2nd thought 17

 

[rivermobster]

Ask him if Kanani Hocking is on his team? I think her Dad was telling me she had been in Alaska for a while now. Her record with the forestry department for wild boar kills is unmatched. She is a true bad ass as are all the Hot Shots.

He's on the Bonneville Hot Shot crew out of Utah He said there were a whole lot of different teams up in Alaska.

Wild boar kills. Awesome!

 

[monkeyswrench]

I've listened to LE and FF friends for years talk about their pay and retirement.
Have a couple friends that went full motorsports, one was on Dario Franchitti's pit crew. I used to second guess my life's decisions pretty often.

What gives me solace is this one fact: Although those careers may have given me "more", they could not have given me what I have.

Every other path would lead to a different place. Every event takes place due to the previous one. If anything, I would change my attitude, but not my path.

 

[Ladsm]

I would have joined the Navy as a CEEBEE and kept going on my electrician career, done my time to earn a pension then start a second career after getting out. Lifetime pension and medical is worth alot nowadays.

 

[Wolskis]

Wouldn't change a thing. Worked for my father in grounds maintenance, took it over for 3 years. Had enough of that. Joined the Navy for 6 years. Took that skill to the civilian world and retired from power plants in May.

 

[JUSTWANNARACE]

I would have joined the Navy as a CEEBEE and kept going on my electrician career, done my time to earn a pension then start a second career after getting out. Lifetime pension and medical is worth alot nowadays.

Actually that is "SEABEE" I only know because I "broke the "seabee" chain" in my family, well actually my older brother did!

 

[CLdrinker]

I would have been a lineman.

And I would have stayed away from Strip Clubs and Car dealerships.

 

[nameisbond]

Should have listened to my now ex-girlfriends neighbor at 18 and joined the RCMP. My cousin did and met her husband who was also RCMP. Both worked 22 years and retired with a full tax free pension. Both get $80k per year tax free.

 

[Rajobigguy]

I think I’ve been incredibly lucky in that I have thoroughly enjoyed most of my jobs and had a very satisfying career overall.
The only thing that I wish was different (but I had no choice in) . I wish that I had been born rich instead of so damn good looking.

 

[Mandelon]

I would have stretched, taken more risks and bought every cheap house and apartment building I could have worked a deal on.
Having other people paying the mortgages!

 

[Bpracing1127]

I would have gotten into real estate knowing what I know. Could have made some serious money.

Second thing is should have moved forward with an invention idea I had many many years ago. Well before someone else brought it to market. Uggg oh well

 

[PlumLoco]

After buying my first house and paying it off early, I never should have sold it. Paid $123 and sold for $389. We put $100k down on the new house and put $150k in savings to cover college and rehab of the new place. The new place has a small rental in the back and I have another rental place in Corona that i own free and clear.
Seeing how much cash flow from the rentals helps out every month, the new plan is to sell one of them to fund some more rentals.
The new plan should have been the old plan a long time ago.