Win some, lose some

[Zed]

I'm trying to take the bad with whatever good comes my way... but lately I've been feeling that it's time to break the routine. My problem has been... laziness.

I'm sick of my daytime job (and have been for years), but last night I filled out an online job application, I know it will definitely not be the last. But where some other people might think of getting such a job as a "mission accomplished" deal, to me it's a stepping stone---a vital stepping stone, but a stepping stone rather than an endgame---to doing what I really want to do, which is to write, publish, and sell books, and edit others' books and help them get published.

Then there's also the simple but very useful ham radio gadget I invented last summer but haven't had the $$ to patent and sell.

Yeah, peonage sucks... especially when you're a high school grad with a hell of an imagination surrounded by all these people who are on their high horse about their college educations but who aren't any better off than I am. For me, it's ABC---anything but college.

Peonage sucks, but free agency rules. For months, my next door neighbor (who is a building inspector) has been telling me, "dude, you do some beautiful work, man! You should get your contractor's license, and make some good money!" Believe me, I've been giving it some serious thought these last few days.

I've even thought of getting a security cert to do the rent-a-cop thing.

There is a glimmer of hope... a new meetup group started last week, for people who make things. I've been making things out of wood since I was 17... beautiful heirloom-quality stuff, but never quite got the knack of making connections to help me sell my work. This could be the one...

Peonage may suck... but free agency rules.

 

[Senamian]

I should get back into writing myself! I have a unibook.com account (upload, edit and publish your own book FREE. Sell as Ebooks or order your book ($) to sell or just to have!). They changed the name to shopmybook.com now lol. Check it out maybe?

Nice to see you are breaking down the "lazy" wall. For me it is "procrastination".

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yeah, peonage sucks... especially when you're a high school grad with a hell of an imagination surrounded by all these people who are on their high horse about their college educations but who aren't any better off than I am. For me, it's ABC---anything but college.

I definitely feel ya on this.

Also, be cautious about turning your hobby into a "career." The business side of things sucks the enjoyment out of it for most people.

 

[Zed]

Well... I woke up one morning last week and had a "what am I, nuts?" moment.

Instead of becoming a builer, I could become a building inspector. I asked my neighbor and he got very enthusiastic---offering to loan me his exam materials, etc etc.

It looks like I can crack this one because to become a building inspector, one thing you have to endure is one written test after another... but big deal, that's how I became a radio ham 19 years ago. I'm not one of those dumb-tough types who considers written tests to be cruel and unusual punishment, ha ha.

Basically, I'd get paid $60k+ a year to drive around town with a clipboard and a hard hat, looking these construction sites over to make sure everything's kosher... any way you cut it, it would be WAY better than my current clerical job. No more heavy lifting, no more having to learn arcane computer programs, no arrogant boss breathing down my back...

The big lure of this building inspection thing for me is the AUTONOMY of it. Sure, some inspectors (like my neighbor) are city deputies... but I'd rather go the self-employment route. If it works out for me, you can bet your sweet patootie I'll never go back to working for anyone else again.

 

[Senamian]

Hell yes! If you can make it to work as your own boss... Do it. Especially for the rest of us suckers who are stuck under the thumbs of bosses ;p

 

[Zed]

What a dope I am!

I saw my neighbor again this afternoon and asked him about the format of the test I'll have to take. He said it's formatted pretty much like the ham radio test I took back in '95: a bunch of multiple choice questions complete with answers (in the sudy guide), with the catch being that you don't know which 60 questions you're going to be given on your particular test sheet.

Now I feel like a total idiot for having slaved away at my dead-end clerical job for all these years...