Dream Job?

[granz]

[Chris Savage]

If someone were to ask me, "What IS a dream job?" I would answer that, if you're getting paid to do what you've always loved doing as a hobby, that's a dream job. Working for Parallax for 12 years was mine. Everything I did there were things I was already doing at home. And so I would finish work and go home and do more of the same.

Someone (young) said to me once, I could never do that. I asked why. They replied that they wouldn't want to do the same thing all day long as work and a hobby. I told them that they haven't found their dream job yet then.

It's sad the way things ended at Parallax. I literally felt like my heart got ripped out when they announced my layoff. I felt like my heart got stomped on when Ken Gracey told me they wouldn't endorse me as an authorized consultant and removed me from the website and banned me from posting business stuff on their forums.

For 12 years my whole life was built around Parallax. I guess you could say I was forced to rethink my life too. I just wish I didn't have to lose everything in the process. There is so much that is unreplaceable. 

[granz]

Yeah, very sad. It was around that time that I noticed that Parallax forums were floundering. It seemed that they were so intent on putting feature creep into the P2 that they couldn't be bothered with anything else.

[Chris Savage]

Yeah, very sad. It was around that time that I noticed that Parallax forums were floundering. It seemed that they were so intent on putting feature creep into the P2 that they couldn't be bothered with anything else.

Yeah, so many people left and never went back. I hope it was worth it. But yeah, I've had to "rethink" the term, "dream job".

[granz]

Yeah, very sad. It was around that time that I noticed that Parallax forums were floundering. It seemed that they were so intent on putting feature creep into the P2 that they couldn't be bothered with anything else.

Yeah, so many people left and never went back. I hope it was worth it. But yeah, I've had to "rethink" the term, "dream job".

I used to think (and still do, sometimes) that my dream job would be curator of an antique computer museum. That is something that I actually tried to do - but like my other careers, I'm a better technician than business man. I would love to be surrounded by computers from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s - that would be a dream. 

[JKnightandKARR]

I gave up on even trying mine....

[Chris Savage]

I gave up on even trying mine....

Your dream job? What was it?

[JKnightandKARR]

I gave up on even trying mine....

Your dream job? What was it?

Racecar driver... specifically NASCAR.   All ever heard was crap like it being a childish dream..

[granz]

Racecar driver... specifically NASCAR.   All ever heard was crap like it being a childish dream..

So, did you ever do anything towards that goal? It would be cool to get into racing.

[Chris Savage]

Racecar driver... specifically NASCAR.   All ever heard was crap like it being a childish dream..

Ironically, I was told when I was younger that electronics and computers was just a pipe dream and that I needed to be realistic. When I was in a Rock Band I understood that. But can you imagine what I could have accomplished if I had been encouraged in my pursuit of electronics? So, I know how you feel.

[JKnightandKARR]

Racecar driver... specifically NASCAR.  All ever heard was crap like it being a childish dream..

So, did you ever do anything towards that goal? It would be cool to get into racing.

Sadly, no...  Didn't really have the cash, even though I kinda knew I'd need to do track racing to get noticed, since my non-existing famous racing relative is a stuck up... so being on my own, I really couldn't do anything.  All I got is Games like Forza Horizon 3/4/5 and my 2 racing wheels for my pc/Xbox one...

Racecar driver... specifically NASCAR.   All ever heard was crap like it being a childish dream..

Ironically, I was told when I was younger that electronics and computers was just a pipe dream and that I needed to be realistic. When I was in a Rock Band I understood that. But can you imagine what I could have accomplished if I had been encouraged in my pursuit of electronics? So, I know how you feel.

I guess you would, huh? Kinda pathetic and sad..  I also tried to be a chef, lack of school didn't deter that one, home-studied.  Had an interview at Buffalo Wild Wings, in my area, not too many options, and when I had the interview, 1st went great, 2nd, general manager, couldn't have cared any less about me knowing more then their current staff, as the first woman said... again, family wasn't really supportive, so when I tried Sonic as a cook, kept getting the run around, so I said HELL with it, NOT what I said, has an F, think you can figure it out... So here I am... Now, I'm more like, I DON'T really need or WANT anyone's help....  There are some exceptions, but not much... You, Granz, my Dad, friend in N.C., for the most part, the entire list...

[granz]

Ironically, I was told when I was younger that electronics and computers was just a pipe dream and that I needed to be realistic. When I was in a Rock Band I understood that. But can you imagine what I could have accomplished if I had been encouraged in my pursuit of electronics? So, I know how you feel.

I was supposed to go, from high school, directly into college for a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (they did not have any degree in Computer Engineering at that time - at least not that I found.) Unfortunately, I got a severe case of senioritis (https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/what-is-senioritis) while a senior in high school.   So, rather than do what I was supposed to do, I joined the Air Force as an enlisted man (rather than an officer,) and never got my degree. Over the years, I've calculated that I should have made 1.5 to 2 million dollars more than I did without the degree.

[Chris Savage]

Unfortunately, I got a severe case of senioritis while a senior in high school.   So, rather than do what I was supposed to do, I joined the Air Force

I didn't have that, however I did suffer a lack of motivation throughout my 5-12 school years. The entire time I was being called lazy. I got 100s on testing, but never finished homework. Barely paid attention in class (I doodled). It was only the fact that testing counted more than homework that I barely skated by. A couple of years after I was out of school, a study came out that identified me as someone who was way smarter than my class (way ahead of the curve), and therefore I didn't feel challenged in school, so I didn't take it very seriously. Wish they could've identified that when I was in 5th grade instead of after I was out of school. Again, the things I could've done if properly diagnosed.

[granz]

I didn't have that, however I did suffer a lack of motivation throughout my 5-12 school years. The entire time I was being called lazy. I got 100s on testing, but never finished homework. Barely paid attention in class (I doodled). It was only the fact that testing counted more than homework that I barely skated by. A couple of years after I was out of school, a study came out that identified me as someone who was way smarter than my class (way ahead of the curve), and therefore I didn't feel challenged in school, so I didn't take it very seriously. Wish they could've identified that when I was in 5th grade instead of after I was out of school. Again, the things I could've done if properly diagnosed.

Interesting similarity here:

When I was in third grade, my teacher (Sister Mary Ernest) handed me a math paper, which I quickly did. The next day, she handed me the same paper. I told her that I already did it, but she insisted that I do it again - I refused. My doodling was drawing hot rod dragsters. I stayed after school for detention every single day, for the first half of third grade. At that point my parents went to the principal, and got me transferred to Miss Halpins class. The first day in that new class, Miss Halpin came up to me, and said "hey Art, my guppy died, do you want to stay after school to help me dissect him?" I stayed after school (not for detention) every day for the rest of third grade.  Miss Halpin gave me the challenge that I needed.

Then in fourth, or fifth, grade, our school went to IGE (Individually Guided Education,) where the student was supposed to go at his own pace. By the end of September (when we started in the beginning of September,) I had finished the entire school year's work. I asked my teacher what to do next (which should have been to go on to the next grade.) She told me that she could not take time to help me because of having to deal with the slower kids, and to just go "over there" and read - so I read for the rest of the year (I am a voracious reader, having read many thousands of books.) So much for IGE.

Then after seventh grade (I could not stay at that school,) my parents had me take the placement test at the local  high school. I tested in at an average end-of-year sophomore level, with several subjects clocking in at a Junior level (just after finishing seventh grade. )

It's no wonder that I like you so much - were kindred spirits (plus our similar hobbys.)

[MicroNut]

I like Granz wanted to be a Computer engineer but the colleges I wanted to go to didn't offer it. So I got an electrical engineering degree. At one point in college I was in the process of switching from a 4 year BS to the 2 year associates degree then do a 2 year associates in Computer Science but a engineer I knew talked me back into the BS engineering degree.

During my career I did migrate over to becoming a computer programmer for most of it. I found when I had an engineering job I would program as a hobby and vice versa. So I've always had my dream job. I also found if your job is also your hobby you become passionate about your work.

I'm close to retirement and I am looking forward to it since the past few years my company is making me more customer service than programmer and I really don't like that part of my job.