I almost became a soldier out of high school because it was the cleanest escape I could find from my lifestyle. This was while I was pretty sure I was going to be forced to go to a Christian college. I figured I could go into the army and pay for my own education, total declaration of independence from my parents.

Anyway I ended up working out a deal with them where they help me on a few expenses and I go to a regular university. Road not taken. I still think about how close I came sometimes though. I was going to go to the recruiters the next week.

OMG this is like Philosophy Weekly!!!!

Damn it, assmarcher. Not only did you steal my answer, but you are also a damn liar.
You've finished 381 games in a little over a year. You ARE a professional webDip player.

For me, I would be doing exactly what I would be doing now because everything is just boring in comparison. Well, except maybe an offer to run the universe with unlimited time and power. That would be fun. I would fuck a lot of things up, but it would be fun.

I think it would be fun to be Jesus instead or someone with a few loyal cronies

I would have taken I-287 instead. Danged 95 had me backed up for hours.

I would be an airline pilot. but here I am in insurance... T_T

For me:

If I weren't an English major hoping to be a writer someday, or be a professor or lawyer or get involved in politics for a "real" living " (assuming I'm not the second coming of T.S. Eliot, and I'll be honest, I have to improve so much to even be the smallest sliver as good as Eliot's worst poetry, to say nothing of heroes Milton or Shakespeare or Woolf) I'd say...

Well, I REALLY loved Science as a kid...
I wanted to be an astronaut when I was 5 (but that was mostly because I thought by the time I was old enough they'd have X-Wing fighters, as I'd just seen Star Wars for the first time and EVERYTHING was Star Wars with me...which I dropped by the time I became a teenager, though oddly enough I still put this name in...wow, I even remember--the first thing I can ever remember writing was a Kindergarten assignment on construction paper--Curious George in an X-Wing!) :D

But I loved Biology mainly, once I got past that whole construction paper thing...I especially grew fond of it--oddly enough--because I was always sick as a kid, so it was interesting and actually kind of comforting to know why I kept getting sick or needed a transfusion or how seizures happen or whatever else.

It always just seemed really incredible and really worthwhile...and it still does.

I just loved Literature even more...and I'm poor with math, as everyone knows (I was a "B" student or so in all the Bio classes I ever took, but I'd assume if I were a Bio major and went further than Bio 101 at a community college...I'd probably need to be able to do some math.) ;)

But I still love it, and still deeply respect and admire those who study it and make advance in it--and the same goes for all scientific fields, you guys do what I wish I could and cannot--and someday when I'm older and greyer and have a steady job inflicting pain, er, teaching kids about Shakespeare (and lamenting how awful my attempts at novels and poetry flopped) I'll go back to school and try and get some more knowledge and even a degree, I'd love to get a Bio degree by the time I die...

Cool, Obi. You should. You could learn enough math to learn biology decently well, I suspect. The world has had lots of good biologists who weren't very good at math.

To answer your question seriously instead of making a joke of it, I'd probably be a cabdriver or truck driver. Driving is one of my primary loves. Perhaps slightly more realistic -- computer programmer. I really did start out studying comp sci, and I only dropped it because I found out I liked both math and physics much better. And programming was starting to feel constricting by comparison. (Just to me -- I don't mean to suggest it's any more restricting as an activity generally).

Teamster by day, legal translator by night.

I still entertain ideas of being a soldier, police officer, or otherwise public servant as a kind of plan-B for myself.

I also do seriously want to be an astronaut as well lol (I'm big on adventure, curiosity, exploration etc.) but that was always in the same category as becoming an NBA pro, movie star, or winning the lotto. If for some reason, though, life threw me a sign that I had some kind of shot, I would go for it big time. That train has almost certainly passed though.

Other things... I wanted to be an historian or archaeologist when I was a younger adolescent, but I gradually re-oriented towards the present. I still love that shit though. The mystery of history is almost spiritual for me.

And of course high school world history teacher. That will always be on the back-burner lol, maybe when I retire or something, unless robots have replaced teachers by then.

Very interesting answer Sandgoose, I think a lot of people wish they had been a pilot - I think my brother does -_-

Ah, a pilot. The hands on job of choice for members of the upper classes. I went through a 'I want to be a pilot' phase myself until I realised how much I dislike flying in large aircraft.

I did come very close to being a teacher, and got as far passing the initial interview weekend for army officer training... but I'm rather glad I am where I am. I'm going to shut up now as my life is too close to Thucy's for comfort. I can only assume that army and teaching are common fates for those with no firm idea of what they wanted to do.

Well, I'm about to graduate undergrad with a BA in Poly Sci and History... However, I've applied for a police officer position, and think it would be great to get it and experience the academy and everything.

Similar to Obi, I loved science. Unlike Obi, I fell in love with physics. The whole idea of space is just tantalizing to me, and on the other scale of size, quantum mechanics and string theory is beyond awesome. The Hadrian Collider is a stop in life I intend to make. I was actually very, very good at math when I was younger. Throughout grade school (K-8) I was the biggest fish in the proverbial pond, winning math olympiads 3 times in a row from 6th-8th (as nerdy as it is, it is the only type of championship trophy I have, and I 3 peated). I took a test to skip a grade ahead in math going into high school, and I missed by a sliver (got a 70, needed a 75). It was for the best, though, because I still remained very good at math, getting above 95 in algebra, geometry, and trig without ever really applying myself. I went to class, took notes, and got great grades. I thought calc would be the same, but lo and behold, my methods of going to class and soaking up knowledge had a limit. I did poorly in calc that year, scoring in the mid 80's, which was one of my lowest grades in any class ever. That's what drove me away from the fields of physics, economics, and business and into the arms of poly sci and history. Don't get me wrong, I love history and poly sci. They're absolutely fascinating, and there's a reason I took road #1. However, it would be interesting to get a degree in physics and relearn calc with a ready mind rather than one that anticipated being able to just soak it in without a problem.

Then there's music... don't get me started on music, though, I haven't quite given up on that yet. The possibilities of being hopelessly optimistic (read naive) and 22 years old!

I'd want to have a travel guide empire like Rick Steves.

I took an undergraduate class on Islands and Oceans. I remember the professor saying that he was one of the world's foremost experts on coral atolls. Every summer for his research, he traveled to the South Pacific to check on how various atolls were doing. He served as a liaison between government agencies and indigenous peoples toward development of eco-friendly policies. There was serious competition among grad students to get to go with him. That sounded pretty cool.

Lol maybe so Octavious. It could also be something in common with diplo players, or people interested in... whatever we're both interested in?

For me I always thought of it as sort of attractive because it's is such a "good citizen" thing to do, and I've always been a sucker for, you know, being "a productive member of society" or whatever.

No fuck that I'm more than a sucker for it, it's my entire reason for living lol.

In University I learned that mathematics is everything. It's also very hard, which makes it a good intellectual exercise. Anyone who would pursue a career in science or economics, I'd recommend to simply go study mathematics and take some courses at the side of subjects that interest you in eco, phys, etc.

I don't think I've ever wanted to *become* anything in a *future*. I've ever been so full of it - the becoming - it happens all the time.
One wants to do things, to learn things and ends up with at least a fraction of it achieved.

I'll cite Mick Jagger (it happens once every eight years): "You can't always get what you want, but if you try some times, you'll get what you need"

(We're not always in such a goodnatured mood, though, Mick and I)

My problem is that I love everything and want to become everything, but I only have 80 years or so and I do need a roof and food (I've tried being homeless, trust me, it's not as fun as it looks). My first love was math, and I took math my first year in university. But I found my one true love, languages. I freelanced as a translator for a while, mostly English to Swedish. I'm currently studying Arabic and the Middle East, I plan to become an interpreter and keep translating, or if possible, a politician to have some impact on the rising xenophobia and islamophobia in Sweden. But I'm also a musician, I've played the guitar since I was 10 and I listen to music constantly. I write my own stuff, mostly for myself, but releasing a record one day is a dream. I also write. I've had a book of poetry published, but I want to take it further and write some good prose. And recently, I've remembered how fun math and programming is. I don't think I will take it up again professionally though. It's mostly fun to play with on your free time!

Yeah same Vaft, I agree with the statement "I love everything and want to become everything."

Also tell me about being homeless.. actually PM me about it, I'll explain later.

"PM me about being homeless, I'll explain later"

I found the title of my new novel.

The worst thing about being homeless is the really cold bit that wakes you up just before sunrise. Aside from that it's pretty much as you would imagine... and really really boring.

"I do need a roof".
Aye swedish climate is not supportive of hoboism.

Haven't I crossed your path once or twice, Trudner?

How many starry-eyed swedes can a forum host?

John Lennon got sore as I cited Jagger and not him. To "ends up with at least a fraction of it achieved" he wanted to have added: "There's nothing you can do that can't be done".
You want to do something - it has an aura of glamour - and when you done it... it's one of them things as can be done, so what?

Artur Lundkvist: "Poesin dör i dikten" (Blinkblink to Vaftrud)

We've crossed paths before, Sylence. Although I can rarely follow what you're saying. But I think it's vaguely insulting, which I encourage.

And I love Lundkvist. He understood that to really express something, you had to tear down language.

"We've crossed paths before"

Haha... I meant in real life. But perhaps you could rarely follow me there too...
(Insult is getting really vague here...)

Could it be that all I ever say involves a vague insult of Vaftrudner?
Interesting thought... But this is digression... sorry...

(Yeah Lundkvist is an inspirator.)
(Just one more funny thing, for anyone who reads his daily Norse mythology, before I lay my racket: Before I settled for username "Sylence" I was thinking of "Odin"... Just as if I knew I would run into a Vaftrudner...)

So you will pump me for information and then behead me?

Probably a translator of some variety.

What languages do you speak, Stressedlines? If you want to just start freelancing, I recommend elance.com where you can just set up a profile and start looking for clients. It's hard to get started but it's worth a try. Depending on what languages you are working with, there may be more or less demand.

I wish I'd gone into the State Department.

lol @ this Sylence/Vaftrudner vague insult interaction

I'm about to finish my MS; when I do, I'll be looking for a job in IC Fabrication. I'm expecting it to be a lot of fun, but if not, I'll go into teaching.

I've had quite a few experiences with teaching and I've loved all of them. Really, the only thing holding me back is that, at the lower levels, you're really limited in what you can teach. I don't want to spend the next 40 years teaching AP Physics and Calculus.

@obi

Biology is a soft science, especially if you don't do informatics. It's much more about memorization, observation, and pattern recognition than a strong understanding of math (such as physics). You're still in school, so why don't you take a couple more Bio classes, heck, even get a minor. Once you're out of school, you won't have that chance again.

Road not taken: Professional Musician (Jazz Trombone)

The reason I didn't take it is I love logic as much as I love music, so "computer programming" (as it used to be called) was there and made a hell of a lot more money even back then. I do not regret the decision at all.

Well, for me, I'm at that point where I decide what to do. I used to want to be a handy-man, lol, also, I've been interested in architectural design. But now I aim for engineering. I'll probably do something general, and specialize in robotics. Robots are where it's at, for sure. Mainly because, hey, robots, but they also incorporate a lot of different things I want to learn/do more of. Programming, design work, engineering, math, etc.

However, I have very seriously considered careers in writing, law, culinary, and public service (police). All of those things would be wicked awesome to do, but I've been saying that I want ro do robotics since I started high school.

Also, @obi, I *hated* biology. I really loke chemistry though. Mainly because chemistry is basically all math. Ans I love math.

*like*

Well right now i'm a High school aged adolescent, most of the other roads i could have taken in my so far rather short life would probably have ended at around the same place.

Paleontology. Dinosaurs are fucking cool.