Professions I could have pursued

I did this for awhile, five years. I left it because my wife at the time (now late ex-wife) wanted me doing something that had more security. Considering how the radio business has changed in the last 30 years, that was a good thing. On the other hand, I loved it, and I left it before developing real skill and talent. Who knows?

Did this for awhile too. Fascinated by the sales process, and I recognize sales skills as a basic human skill. (Note that I'm not talking about arm-twisting or manipulating, but rather identifying needs and building trust and ability to fill them.) If I were going to actually pursue this, it should have been when I was single to start with, willing to take the risks associated with learning to do this effectively.

I worked for an employment agency briefly. It gave me enough of a taste to recognize I could have made something of this.

Includes both reporter and photographer. I actually started working at a newspaper when I was 14, and I have continued it in a way since I have made part or all of my living at times as a writer. By this, I mean working on staff as a reporter or photographer, both of which I did for several years, but didn't stick with it.

When I was in junior high, I looked up to a high school senior who became a respiratory therapist after graduation. The work sounded interesting, and I've gotten to know several folks in this profession thanks to my disabled daughter. They make a real difference to people.

I actually had a professional license at one point, but I never pursued this. When I was in college, I took one of those assessments for enjoyable careers, and mine came back with journalist, professor, and trucker. Because that last one seemed quite a bit different from the other two, I asked about it, and the assessor said that to be happy as a trucker (vs. doing it for the money but hating it), someone needed to be either a little below average intelligence or a little above average intelligence. She explained that below average would not miss intellectual stimulation, while above average would find novel experiences in the mundane work that could otherwise lead to boredom. I knew I scored above average on IQ tests, though not genius level. I also knew IQ doesn't mean a lot for everyday usefulness. Still, I entertained this for awhile.

I find digging into local history fascinating, and I love learning. To be able to make a living at that sort of thing is intriguing, and I have worked as a communication studies professor for 40 years. History just could have been a different academic field with a little turn.

Same as above. Closely related field.

I never really dug into this, but at one point I had an interest in learning about real estate—not so much selling it for other people, but buying and selling as a way of making money.

When I was in college I actually made a good bit of money playing guitar and singing. A music instructor I respect told me I had the ability. But I had already ruined a few things I loved doing by making money at them. They became "just jobs." Several of my friends have told me when they became professional musicians, they found the joy going out of it—just a way to make a living, and losing the ability to simply listen to music without analyzing or critiquing. I didn't want to lose that, and so I decided to go another route. Note: this is not universally true. Although I have made part or all of my living through writing and speaking, I find my enthusiasm and satisfaction from writing surviving through all that. (I confess: I'm getting burned out on speaking.)