[pylon]

I regret my career choices daily. Don't get me wrong, I'm content with what I do, make great money, and bust my ass at it, but I really feel I could have done much better for myself. I sold myself short bigtime. I am not a dumb person, but have the education of one.

I can honestly say to anyone reading this that may be contemplating not going to university, or dropping out of high school. DONT DO IT. Sure you can do well without the piece of paper, but your choices are limited. You get welded to a field. Sure, I can get a job as a finance manager at pretty much any dealership in North America, and do quite well, I just don't know if it is what I want to do for 20 more years. Unfortunately, it is my only choice to make a good living at this point in time. A degree opens SO many more doors.

As a 36 year old, going back to school, completing pure math 31 physics 30, getting into the faculty of science and chasing my dream of becoming an astrophysicist, is likely impossible with the realities of a mortgage and adult responsibility. It is likely an 8 year journey at best, that is no longer realistic. I really wish sometimes, I did something that gave back, and sometimes I feel all we do in my industry is take. I couldn't even get a day off to go get my GED, after I paid for the test, and booked it. I was too scared to let anyone at work know, and didn't have the balls to just say I am going no matter what. Sold my self short again, so my employer wasn't put out. Sometimes the people I work for are very narrow minded, and that definitely bugs me. Heaven forbid we lost 500 bucks on a deal because I wasn't there, or one of my partners felt over worked for a few hours. The only future anyone cares about is how many cars are we getting next week, or how big is my next commision.... that aspect drives me nuts. No vision.

I get ridiculed sometimes by my peers for wanting to take on dumb little causes. I am doing the Enbridge cancer ride this year, and nobody seems to give a sh1t and just laugh at me or brush me off when I try and come up with or suggest fundraising ideas. Or I try and discuss world events with people I work with, and unless it involves making money, sports gambling, cars, pop culture or babes.... nobody seems to give a crap. Half the people I work with don't even know what's going on in Libya.

That it why I spend so much time here. A ton of the posters here are the types of people I wish I had as friends and colleagues. Unfortunatley, I work so much, I no longer have time for friends, and relationships are disfunctional at best. Even though a ton of the topics are beyond my scope of knowledge, it makes me feel like I actually know some truly intelligent and educated people by even having a forum to discuss this stuff on an informed level.

Bottom line is this. Lack of education, leads to working with uneducated people. Street smarts DOES NOT = book smarts. 5 years ago, I would have told you different, as all that mattered was money, and it was likely a defense mechanism statement to justify my failure at persuing an education. Now I can honestly say, you need to do everything in your power to expand your horizons, or you will feel trapped with no horizon in sight.