We have some pretty different folks in this bunch O bike riders. People who have had to be a bit more than the average schmuck to get where they got. Then, there are the rest of us.. Im pretty happy with my work history, I always had desires to know how to weld, paint( I Really got over that one), run equipment, mechanic, do body work, home electrical, stuff like that. I never answered "The question" with I wanna be a Fireman!

LIke many, I started mowing yards as a pre-teen. My G/Pa was ditching a mower cuz he couldnt start it any more. He said I could have it if I could get it running,. Needed rings, but it ran. Graduated to a paper route, then sacker, first of 6 or 8 kids hired that day to get araise & first promoted to checker & then stocker. All boring stuff, but,, a kids gotta start Somewhere.

That said, IF I could have I would have been happy to spend my days in a machine shop or welding shop or hang with a mechanic when I was 12.
I think hanging with a mechanic is pretty safe & a good mechanic can make a Fine living,,

So,, what were your dreams & aspirations? Did you somehow get thrust into something you never dreamed of doing?
What was your favorite job?

Hey, Digger,, How did you get that job?

Funny, I got in a lot of trouble when they asked me in first or second grade and I replied... "A Hell's Angel"... I got bored with that really quickly.

I never did really have an answer for them when they asked that question.  I always knew I wanted to fix stuff.  Machinery was always a big fascination with me.  

I spent twenty years in the computer business as a repair tech, installer, and network engineer.  I have programmed PLC's for plastic injection molding machines. Did that for a couple years until the mismanaged company folded. Now, I'm in printing again.  Press operator and typesetter.  

I've always wrenched on my own stuff.  Consequently I've had a lot of junk cause I was the only one that could keep it going. Slowly teaching myself to weld.  It ain't pretty but it don't let go. I can do a tolerable rattle can job.  Wish I knew a lot more about painting motorcycles, cars and stuff like that.  I've had my fill of house painting over the years.

WD I bet you did cause quite a stir with that one.
Sero...A spider? These days they'd put you through all sorts of psychological testing for saying something like that.

Looks like everybody turned out good, though. Guess there's something to be said for growing up.  

There's a very diverse bunch on here.  You can almost always get help on just about anything.  That's great to have on a forum.

I enlisted in the Air Force right out of high school, and spent twenty years in electronics. When I retired I lucked into a job in biomedical electronics in a local hospital. After something over fifteen years there I got tired of carrying a pager, and tried over-the-road trucking. That didn't last long. I then was in my mid-fifties, and discovered that despite laws against age discrimination in hiring, it is alive and well. I got a job with a company making electronic reader boards, and when the parent company sold it I got "downsized." By then I was able to start drawing Social Security retirement, and along with my Air Force retirement I can manage. I also found a part time job driving school buses for the local school district. That provides the "mad money."

Hmm so many jobs in my life, funny this topic should come up I had a dream a few nights ago about most of the jobs I've done over the years.

-Paper Route
-Working at Grandma's local candy store
-Gofer at a record studio (got to hang out and play foosball with the Stray Cats!)
-Telemarketer (very sort stint...worse job ever!!)
-Warehouse grunt
-Sign shop worker
-Pizza maker
-Stock boy
-Ambulette driver, later followed by manager of said business
-Auto parts counterman/delivery driver
-Real Estate Title Examiner (was my main career for 20+ years but always had 2 or 3 jobs)
-Waiter
-Bartender
-R&D for textile machinery manufacturer
-Computer technician
-Handyman
-GC helper
-Mr. Mom for 4 years (the hardest job on the list)
-Cell phone/touch screen device technician

Oh and I always wanted to be a helicopter pilot!!!!!!!!  

R&D for textile machinery manufacturer..


I like that idea..
& fl;ying was a deep hidden desire,I Did fly some, never a copter, but before I was 13 Id flown in & handled the controls on several smallplanes.

I guess the only thing I wanted to be(outside being like Roy Rodgers or Sky King...if yer under 50 ya might need to goggle those!) was a farmer. Grew up un a farm and was always with Pa or my uncle doing some sort of chores around the farm and pitching hay,picking tomatos,working in tobacco or building fence for neighbors. Did the FFA thing in high school but when I got out it hit me I'd never make a living at farming.

That was 1973. Factory jobs paid very well back then and I had my pick of several to work for. Then hit Jimmy Carters "Arab Oil Embargo". Factory jobs went to crap with huge layoffs.

Back to farmhand work for a year or so,then got on a powerline construction crew for one summer.

From that point on,my work varied. I've worked at....

*HVAC
*building maintenance
*retail farm supply
*custom crop spraying(strictly on the ground)
*supervised custodial and maintenance crews for  2500 student high school
*drove  a dedicated run hauling auto parts to plants
*was grounds director for a nature preserve
*drove a tri-axle dump truck
*pickup & delivery for a large mower shop

and now parts counter/sales person for the same mower shop/Kubota dealer. It's been a wild ride but coming up on 60 I realise I've been way too hard on this old body and I'm looking to the time I can slow down a bit. With the way things are going that'll be when I hit 80 I think

I would like to be lawyer, but I cannot pass a bar.

…Seriously though, I wanted to be a lunar astronaut. Didn’t make it of course, but I did get to do a whole lot of flying.