I grew up in the house that my wife and I are raising our children in. I have lived here most of my life with the exception of the time she and I spent at Eastern Kentucky University and in a couple of houses we lived in while we "flipped" them.
As a young man, I considered joining the US Army as a Linguist. I had studied German for 3 years in high school and thought it would be neat to use my education for work.
This didn't come about for many reasons, some of which I may elaborate on at a later time.
After trying that, I considered moving to Kennebunkport, Maine, to study naval architecture at The Landing School. That was shot down by economics.
I finally left home to attend college in Richmond, KY. It wasn't the move I dreamt of. It was only two hours from home. But still, I was on my way! I could only be stopped by myself!
After two years there, we came home.
I fell short of getting my degree and found it much harder than expected to find a job, no, a career. My only interests were designing houses and remodeling. But, as a young man with no degree and limited experience, my only prospect for work was sales in a hardware store and later in a couple of national home improvement retailers, one of which I worked my way to Customer Service Manager and later became Administrative Manager (Assistant Manager).
All the while, I honed my skills in design and remodeling until I felt secure enough to branch out on my own. People who knew me and my abilities were constantly asking me to work for them. Jobs I accepted ranged from the remedial tasks of painting and plumbing repair to the more exciting and challenging tasks of designing custom additions and whole house remodels. I had finally found my niche. I left my position at Lowe's and became my own boss.
For 3 1/2 years.
Until the economy tanked.
And the money ran out.
Then once again, I looked around and thought about moving to a new city or state. A place that could provide more opportunity for my wife and me to offer our children a good upbringing like we both knew. We were both raised by railroaders. My dad was a locomotive engineer for C&O (CSX). Her dad was in management and was my dad's boss.
As fate would have it, the railroad was hiring conductors just as I was re-entering the work force. So I applied, thinking about how a relocation to another division was surely the only way I would get this sought after job. Wouldn't you know it...they hired me to work right here at home. I still didn't get to move out of here. But, I guess, that's O.K. Our children are 11 & 4 and are close to their grand parents and cousins. A move would be hardest on them.
Sometimes i think about how life would have been different if I had joined the Army and moved away...but, I'm sure my wife of nearly 17 years would have met someone else and I would have never known her. Chip and Emmy would never have graced this earth to make me such a happy father.
I don't regret my decisions at all. I just wander what it's like out there. Perhaps even life as an expat...living somewhere in europe.
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