The Energon Pub

News Credits: 129 · Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:08 am

There are choices or decisions we make that lead us to a crossroads where we choose one path or another for life.

For instance, coming out of High School into College, my initial thought was to major in English Lit and to pursue a career in teaching. I went an entirely different path upon actually choosing a major due in large part to seeing the effects of a lack of income for my family back home. So, I chose a major with a high employment rate and solid pay/benefits even though it didn't perfectly suit me.

Well, even all that's changed now, but the point is that looking back I could see how I could have continued on that path. I'm not sure now, looking back that I would have wanted to teach, write for a living, yes, but not teach.

It's interesting to look back on how we got to where we are and the circumstances around it.

What about you?

News Credits: 104 · Fri Jan 15, 2010 10:37 am

When in High School I planned on becoming an electrician.
When I went to college I studied to be an Electronic Technician with a minor in Psychology.
After 13 1/2 years of being a electronic tech I was laid off and now I am a computer technician (it helped learning a lot about computers after sitting in front of one for almost 14 years).
Now I am getting a lot of on the job training and even started my own side business.

So I nearly became an electrician..

News Credits: 1 · Fri Jan 15, 2010 2:41 pm

Interesting post, here's my story. Around twenty years ago, I was part of the corporate world. I was working for Merrill Lynch as a wire operator. This is before the time of online trading, it was my job to enter buy / sell stock trades from our office directly to the NASDAQ and NYSE. A broker would write a ticket and give it to me to enter into the system. Needless to say this was a high pressure job where speed and attention to detail was part of the job requirement. Entering a ticket incorrectly could cost the office thousands, if not millions of dollars, depending on the type of error. But I excelled at it. I was your typical 20 something. I enjoyed my work, loved going out to Happy Hour with the Brokers and hobnobbing with the elite. I was always going to some event. However, I was always considered "just the wire operator".

Then I had a few tragic events happen in my life, my Mother unexpectedly died, and 6 months later the family home burned down. Suddenly things took a different perspective. To shake it off, I took a part in a Community Theater production of "Pippin", and met a different set of people. I was asked by one of my cast mates to interview for a job position at a local Newspaper. I applied, interviewed, and became the new Circulation Manager. Joining the newspaper was one of the best experiences of my life. I was part of a creative team, I learned how to put the paper together. (again all before computers automatically paginates pages) I was even writing my own columns, I had a fitness and a local music scene column. That lasted a few years until the paper was bought out and my position was absorbed by the other company.

I went back to the financial world two more times. Working again as a wire operator at a different company where I really saw how greed and elitism effected those around them. I was finding it very hard to go to Happy Hour. I didn't want to spend time with those people any longer then I had to. Especially after my Manager told me that my taking a day off to attend my Grandmother's funeral was an inconvenience to the office. Shortly thereafter, I ended up quitting, and worked at a variety of odd jobs from Real Estate, where I saw the same things, to a small family owned business, where my ideas were seen as intrusive. My final venture in the financial / corporate world was back in 2001, where I went to work for a friend of mine from the other 2 financial firms as his assistant. Then the financial world began to fall apart, and he was forced to lay me off. In order to save face, he told his clients I left to peruse a career in Journalism. Thus closing any doors I may have had with any of his clients. I never looked back at that world. I am very glad to be out of it, especially now with all the big bank bailouts, Ponzi schemes, and the Wall Street backlash.

I walked two very different paths. Looking back, I didn't really like the corporate world. I have very little to no contact with anyone from my Brokerage days. However, I still communicate with my friends from the newspaper. Even though I am told traditional newsprint is dying, it probably would be one of the professions I would go back to, if I decide / need to go back to work again.

News Credits: 2 · Fri Jan 15, 2010 2:49 pm

I went to school to be a draftsman, and even started out doing that with a job I got during school. But the recession hit (early 90's), the company closed and then nobody was hiring draftsmen.

By the time the econemy recovered the skills I had were no longer the skills needed as drafting went form pencil and paper to computer...I tried to take some classes but the recession had hit me hard and I was in debt BAD.

School gave way to my gal wanted to get married....after the wedding a house was priority, after a while I just gave up on it.

Clearly my dreams were not gonna happen.

Fri Jan 15, 2010 3:24 pm

I nearly became someone that I am not! If I had made them choices then I would not be me I would be someone else, and someone else I am not. I made the choices because I am who I am. I have regrets but they don't matter anymore. The next choices are the choices that matter. Make your choices and create the person that you will become.

Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:32 pm

I'm only 27, so I don't that far to look back. I can't say I had any major decisions to make up through college. I went with what I naturally had an affinity for and ended up with a BS in Computer Science. If there was a turning point, it was getting hired at my current job. I wanted to be a programmer but didn't have the talent for a career. On a whim, I signed up for a helpdesk/software testing position and got the job. From there, I found a had a talent for breaking things and got moved off help desk for a full-time QA position. Best job I've ever had and this has definitely determined my future career focus.

News Credits: 1452 · Sat Jan 16, 2010 7:27 pm

Could have been an engineer back in my hometown, creating structures to abuse the environment. Now i'm here on the west coast, studying as an oceanographer and environmentalist, trying to protect it.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Jan 17, 2010 6:52 pm

That's kind of funny, Counterpunch, because I did go the English major route and am teaching and...I'm not sure *I* can handle it. Anyone who thinks teachers 'get summers off' etc, has clearly never done the job...right.

I was an interrogator for the US Army for four years. I was so ready to do my 20. It was a huge disappointment for my family when I joined the military (they disowned me0, but it was the best decision I think I made when it came to learning how to stand on my own. I loved my job, I felt like what I did made an actual difference.

Then, blah blah blah, series of accidents, disability, blah, and I was a civilian again. So...grad school, English, PhD, comm coll teaching job.

So...I was almost someone useful to my country.

HK, meh.

Sun Jan 17, 2010 7:37 pm

I took two years of culinary arts, graduating with an associates degree in it. I went into the business and enearly had a nervous breakdown from it. I'm in retail, now. And it's much less stressful.

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

I always wondered what would've happened had I gone out with Stephanie Thornbert when she asked me out in grade 7 (or maybe

instead of getting super embarrased and chickening out. She was my crush at the time and I had no idea how to handle women. I may be better with the ladies today otherwise.

Oh well, C'est la vie.

Mon Jan 18, 2010 3:21 am

I could have been a lawyer. Its what I was wanting since I was 10 and I did about a year and a bit of law. Then I realised I was probably only doing it because my dad and my brother were lawyers. And it didn't help my visual difficulties hadn't been diagnosed so reading was not fun. -_-'

So, instead of becoming a blood sucking, ambulance chasing leech, I became a nurse. >_< Which at the moment isn't the funnest job I'm doing as the people I work with are a bunch of lying harpies who have nothing better to do then back stab everyone new and try to get them fired for trumped up charges based on about three ounces of bullsh1t.

Although, I can now say I have been covered in every fluid that comes out of the human body. Quite a few you would never imagine could exist unless you see them dribbling down your arm.

Mon Jan 18, 2010 3:40 am

I was almost a costumed super villain. I had it all planned out. But then around my teen years I thought that I'd never get laid and I'd end up in a prison with actual criminals. So I decided to drop my dream of ruling the lot of you with an iron fist. And then I saw this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7pB2gLZtlY

Loki was so very sad on that day. Because he could have been a real super villain. And I could have been pummeling these guys for laughs on the weekend to blow off steam from my dayjob. So yeah. Not always best to listen to your guidance counselor. :-x

Tue Feb 02, 2010 9:07 am

I was once trapped in the bottom of an elevator shaft with the elevator descending upon me, if my friend hadn't kicked in the door I would have become a Jill sandwich... wait... that might have been someone else...

I was almost a scientist, but I found myself when I took a drawing class in high school, changed my life, now I'm working towards becoming an animator.

News Credits: 33 · Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:48 pm

I've worked in retail since I was 17, and at the age of 20, was studying to enter University and my current employer was preparing to train me as a Duty Manager - when I finished my degree, opportunities to become a store manager with an excellent salary and further developments would be in my sights.

Then I ripped a quad muscle in my leg (sports, not work related) and discovered I could no longer perform heavy\medium manual labour, which resulted in me leaving work. I register at the job centre, which then informs me that since I am in full-time education, I am not eligable for jobseekers allowance unless I quit that too - since I couldn't afford not to have the JSA, I gave up on my studies (a few years later, I discover I have been misinformed about full-time educaton and JSA also).

I then start a period of Physiotherepy which seemed to do more harm than good, get sent to a consultant who informs me that I was misdiagnosed and now had scarred-tissue in my knee which wasn't going to heal properly - meaning heavy\medium physical activity is basically a no-go area.

I now work part-time in a small, very badly payed off-licence. I haven't managed to get enough money together to go back to college, and have zero chance of progressing in my job.

Still, at least I've got my health, eh?

Mon Mar 22, 2010 2:13 pm

I was the trouble maker in HS, but had a passion for cars. I wanted to do autobody and all that but being in trouble alot of the time I was actually expected by alot of people to be in prison or dead.

Luckily I pulled my head out of my ass and I got back on track. stupidly i dropped out of HS but im getting my G.E.D. and I'm heading into college to get into Vet Tech classes. I love animals and I do hope to own an animal shelter someday. I still have a passion for cars and I am going to be going to college for buisness and management so I might even own an autobody shop...but i wont get too far ahead of myself I'm just getting on with life, plus i have a very supportive family and fiance so hey I am happy with the career i'm pursuing.

Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:04 pm

I was an EMT/firefighter for a long time. I started out my sophmore year of high school and made a career of it for a while. My true passion in life has always been cars. I bought my first car for $500 at 15 (yes I paid for it), and spent a year learning how to do body work on it (paid for that too. Phew, that car knew how to keep me pinching pennies!). While I was still working as an EMT I went to college for automotive. I really found my way getting into automotive. It wasn't as difficult getting into it being female as I expected it to be. I got out of the EMT gig and I've stuck with automotive. I miss EMS and fighting fire every now and then, but it just doesn't fit me anymore now that I've started a family of my own.
I love old muscle cars. My husband and I are going to start a business restoring muscle cars in the next few years. If I hadn't gotten into automotive, I would have gone on to become a paramedic. So to answer the question who did you nearly become - paramedic.

Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:11 am

My outlook on life is no one has control of their destiny. Your best laid plans can get completely ruined through no fault of your own. I'd like to be an artist, designing characters for movies or video games. I tried to take art every chance I could in high school, but I didn't manage to get in until my very last semester. By that time I was already ahead of the class just from drawing in a sketch pad I had. After high school I tried to enroll in the Art Institute, but I didn't have a car or even a drivers license and it was in another state. I've spent the last 8 years just trying to get my feet on the ground with life's little curveballs knocking me down.