What were some things you came close to being, or have happened in your life, but situations or choices diverted you from it?

GQ

I can’t say I would have been rock star level with anything, but there are some paths in life I missed turning down.

I really wanted to be a pharmaceutical rep at one time. I had a great first meeting at a job fair once. They called me back the day I was moving from an apartment to my new house. The message was in a machine. When I got everything moved in I couldn’t find the message again. It was erased somehow and I hadn’t written the call back information down. I was frustrated, but I let it go and didn’t try to figure out a way to follow up. A few months later I ran into a woman who I had spoken to for a while at the job fair and she was working for them. They had hired a lot of people for a new drug. Missed opportunity I think for me.

I wanted to buy a CD several years ago and hesitated because of my husband. If I had done it I would have about $70k more in the bank just from that conservative type of investment.

Another money one was a friend told me to by RJ Reynolds stock and I wish I had. Usually I care a lot about participating in things that I think are bad for people, but for some reason I wouldn’t have a problem owning cigarette stock. I’d have a lot more money right now. We’re talking way more than $70k more.

I wanted to be an architect, started college with that goal, ran out of funds and changed majors to what they now call “construction science” figuring that was as close as I could get. Spent the rest of my life in construction; learned to detest architects. At their worst they are conceited, arrogant, ill-informed primadonnas who have no idea of the details necessary to make their designs into reality. The best of them are still clueless but are at least talented and willing to concede that they may not know it all. They, unfortunately, grow out of this phase as they age.

Bottom line up front is that I used my trumpet get get me out of the Army infantry.

I joined the U.S. Army with the understanding that I would work in military hospital as a lab tech. But the Army stationed me with a medical infantry unit where I was allowed to only work a couple months of the year in a hospital lab. My company commander (CO) was well aware of my great desire to work in the hospital instead of field tents and doing general support to the company.

After 2 years of that I saw an add in the paper of auditions for a trumpet player for the Army Band (I played trumpet through 4 years of college). I practiced every night after work in the back seat of an old car for 2 weeks and then passed 2 auditions and was accepted into the Army Band and was given orders for the immediate transfer.

My CO said to me, “I’m confused. I thought that you wanted to be a lab tech.” I said that I’d rather play my trumpet than work on trucks all day. He told me that if I would rather be a lab tech then he could get me transferred to the hospital lab. That’s what I did because I know my limitations as a trumpet player. I can make a good living as a lab tech but would likely starve trying to be a professional trumpet player. For the last 37 years I’ve been a happy lab rat. HA!

I was interested in going to culinary school for a very long time, and I was planning on going to school for it two years ago. But that month I got diagnosed with celiac disease. I was completely devastated.

I was a real estate agent for 2 years starting when I turned 18. It was stupid rediculous money. In my best month, I made $30,000.. But I eventually decided that for better or worse, I’m not a salesman. I didn’t like the way brokers were doing business and I just felt like I was constantly ripping people off on the biggest purchase they would ever make.
I didn’t like anyone in the industry either… Loan agents, realtors, escrow officers, clients; you get that much money involved and it brings out the worst in everyone. So I quit. Now I do mechanical engineering work for a teacher salary. I’m sure I would be a very different person right now if I had stayed.

I was almost a geologist and not an engineer. I almost dropped out of college to continue playing in rock bands as a 20 year old. I could have been a broke ass washed up “musician” (A.K.A. loser.)

I don’t know about rock star, but I missed an opportunity to tour Europe playing with Michelle Shocked. I was living in Austin at the time, and I had known Michelle for several years through a mutual circle of friends, mostly musician/artistic types, and we had performed together on several occasions. After she released The Texas Campfire Tapes she came back to Austin from Europe, where she had some up-coming opportunities, and invited me, along with some of our other mutual friends, to join her in Europe. I was working to raise enough money for a round trip ticket to London when I met the woman who is now my wife. My priorities shifted, and I ended up getting married, and the rest, as they say, is history!