I have pondered how I came to where I am in my life, how I define myself, who I am.
As I reflect what I have done, which turns I made, I started to realize that everyone BECOMES someone. Most have no idea what that will be. Some have a plan, but rarely does the plan go exactly how they envisioned it.
My story.
I was very eclectic in my interest and talents. In high school (when most of us actually start to think about what we REALLY want to be, I lettered in 4 sports and thought that I could make it as a Major League baseball player. I was also an exceptional trumpet player and had visions of being a musician. I could act and played the lead in the musical and high school plays. I was on the journalism staff and thought I might be a journalist. I had a rock band that actually had some success and thought maybe we could make it. Dreams, half-baked ideas, dreams, and aspirations. All fell through or failed to some extent.
I secured a choir scholarship and a baseball scholarship. So off to college, I went.
While there, I joined a very popular fraternity that will remain unnamed. Too busy by far. PLUS I ran for freshman class president and won. Well, in that first year I suffered a major shoulder injury in a game. my baseball hopes were dashed. My depression lingered to the point that after my first year I didn't go back.
So what to do? I investigated different avenues while working what seem to be a million jobs. I finally happened upon a Marine recruiter that convinced me that I could be an air traffic controller. So I joined the USMC. At Bootcamp, I learned that I was an exceptional shooter. So the Marine Corps made me a scout sniper. I thought great, after a 4-year stint I would go back and finish university....didn't happen. I did 10 years that seemed to fly by. One thing about the Marine Corps. Every career Marine after a time becomes either a recruiter or a Drill Instructor. I became the later. For 2 years I was a D.I.
After that, I went back into the Fleet and I attended schools that made me an aviation electrician. For the next ten years, I was part of Marine Aviation. During that time I was recalled to my primary MOS (job) as needed. That made a total of 22 years service so I retired.
NOW WHAT?
Well, I started working for a commercial airline. I didn't like it for various reasons. I came upon an opportunity to sell bookkeeping. I took it. I was so successful at it that the owner of the company offered me an office and equity that I would acquire by sweat. After 6 months I owned the office outright. As a side business, I started (with partners) a commercial debt recovery business. It also was a success. I soon grew tired of the ups and downs of both businesses and the exhaustion of running two full-time companies. One of my customers approached me into buying into his company and also becoming te Director of Operations. I sold my two businesses and bought into his company. After a short while, I and 3 other officers bought out the original owner and each now own 25% of that company. That is what I do to this day.
I never in my wildest dreams thought that this is where I would end up. I still don't know exactly what the future holds for me.
Atheist, Progressive Liberal, Veteran, Business Owner, that describes me now, but how I got here was a wild and twisted journey. I left out a great deal of detail because it would be too hard and too long to post but to say the least, it was wild and unexpected.
That is how I became who I am now. How about you.