My life dream...

[redpoint5]

I got 2 difference answers from 2 different guys who were SCUBA guides on an island. The first guy said he is living a dream doing what he loves for a job. The other guy said the job has ruined what used to be his favorite activity.

Just because you love to do something doesn't mean you want to make it your job. Think about all aspects of what it means to make a career out of your hobby.

[user removed]

My pole fishing times were overwhelmed by living in the Florida Keys, when spear fishing was fantastic and I learned to compare pole fishing to throwing a line and hook into a grocery store (pole fishing) versus walking in and picking out what you want (spear fishing).

Snorkel through a school of 40 Barracuda while stalking that huge red snapper that sells for $5 a pound at the local fish markets, to say nothing about the lobster! My cousin caught (with a bang stick) a 600 pound grouper. The local fish market would not buy the fish,so he parked his pickup out front and started giving people 20 pound chunks of that fish. It wasn't long before the market owner came out and bought the rest.

regards
mech

[P-hack]

I think we are in a slump where appreciating agriculture is concerned. Really there isn't a much more important job to have, yet the "city folk" are all self-absorbed, conceptualizing it as "flyover states" and "stupid rednecks" and really just taking it all for granted. Most of us push paper/electrons trying to play the game and think we are special, you actually have a profession with actual meaning, people get fed, instead of getting distracted by the latest widget or stupid culture wars or whatever other people do to make themselves feel important.

I have a lot of respect for agriculture.

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by P-hack

I have a lot of respect for agriculture.

I love gardening. Of course, I love driving and loved being in the Army. A big chunk of that love is not doing any of them as a full time job, much less as a career.

[P-hack]

my point is of course not what you "love" to do, but how the population (or population centers) affect our own perceptions regarding what is important.

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

So how have professional bass fishermen (sorry, but my mind's boggling a little at the idea that there even is such a thing) get a start in the business? I'd suspect they don't send out resumes to bass companies :-)

One of the great things about the USA is that you can be a professional just about anything.

You could even be a professional hypermiler (there are at least a few such people in the world working for OEMs). The other way would be to teach fleet drivers, probably from a how to be 'green' angle. Possibly could reach private drivers with something like "I'll teach you to reduce your fuel bill by XX% or your money back".

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

HOBBY - what you want to do daily forever.

I wouldn't go quite that far. I have a lot of "hobbies", but there isn't one of them I'd want to do 40 hours/week, 50 weeks per year.

[pgfpro]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Your trade is agriculture.
Your profession is angler.

Practice your profession while mastering your trade.

Get a gov't job in agriculture where you are not doing the work yourself but helping others make their work more productive. Like hypermiling a farm.

Try your hand at competitive angling and see if you meet the grade. Meanwhile let life show you some fun and some sorrow and maybe everything will work out if you let it. If not change course and keep going forward.

regards
mech

I like Mech post.
My background when I was your age BD. i work at Inland Mattress and built mattress and box springs. I hated it after about two years. At that time my life long dream was to restore muscle cars. So I learned Auto Body and Paint from one friend and engine and transmission building from another. I started out restoring a few cars after hours and weekends, then i went full time on my own and did that for about 8 years. In the beginning I was living my dream
but about 5 years into it I started hating it!!!
To this day i still have a ton of people wanting me to restore their cars and I tell it will never happen. I'm burned out big time, and can't stand car shows or anything to do with muscle cars. Its sad because its something that comes very easy to me but I just can't stomach it anymore. Looking back if I would have done it part time I probably would still be doing it and enjoying it.

So keep in mind your job is just a job that makes $$$ to maintain life. Your hobby or passion type job should be a profession that you control how many hours and how much energy you put into it.

[vskid3]

Does your soon-to-be wife have a job? In my opinion, your first priority should be providing for the two of you. If she can do that, you're freed up to pursue your dream. If you're expected to be the primary provider for whatever reason, I would suggest getting a job that pays the bills now and work towards your dream in your free time.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by P-hack

my point is of course not what you "love" to do, but how the population (or population centers) affect our own perceptions regarding what is important.

Obviously the most important things humans can do are chasing balls. Nothing garners more energy, investment, debate, adulation, and obsession than the worship of ball chasers.

pgfpro: That was my theory too- if you choose what you love to do as a profession it could ruin it by becoming the daily grind. So I sought to design vehicles as my "daily grind" and fly airplanes for fun.

Well, that didn't work out in the long run but it was fun for a while. Now my hopes and dreams are simply that people leave me the &&&& alone. :/