"Wisdom given is wisdom gained."

Been poking around BTS lately and figured I'd through out a completely irrelevetant thread that may be a fun twist..

My aim here is not to have you comment on the stories, but to encourage everyone here to completely let loose with a really off the wall story that happened to you. Funny, embarrassing, amazing, "damn lucky", whatever.. as long it sparks conversation. Silently.

I think if we allow ourselves to not comment on the stories, and just throw out a story of your own (however small it may be) that the thread will take so many twists that it'll be hard to follow. Or even better, we comment on a previous story with a different, but somehow connected story.

But on a wisdom gained perspective, I think the thread will take many humourous turns..

"Wisdom given is wisdom gained."

So here I go.. I'm going to tell you a story about my life that I've gained wisdom over. Hell, I have so many stories to throw out in so many directions, I really hope this thread works out.. could be a real ride.

I'll try and start big, with a big experience that amounted to a huge amount of wisdom to give you an idea of what direction I'd like to see this thread go.


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Timeframe: 10 years

I started my life optimistic. Eager to achieve, but still very confused on what I wanted to be. So I decided to get a few full time industrial jobs. I found myself learning so much about so many various technologies and equipment that I seemingly gave up any desire to attend college. Within 3 years, I scored a job at a very prestigous industrial chemical manufacturing facility.

I realized right then, with that very job, the world was my oyster.

I started at a grunt in this corporation. Some schmoe willing to do the 'dirty' work. I didn't get to run the control centers, hell, half the time I wasn't allowed in them. I just ran the really sticky, annoyingly chronically harmful, jobs that no one else in the plant would do.

But I knew those control centers existed, and I've seen them with my very eyes. Huge super computers packed into a small room allowing the operators to literally run the entire 290-acre plant from just a handful of computer screens.

That was it. That was my breaking point.

I quit the job after 3 years since they wouldn't work with me during college. I found a $7 dollar an hour job (barely livable in my area) and moved out of my nice house and into a small one room apartment.

All of my friends thought I was crazy. I was making almost double their wages and I threw it all a way. For college.

But I had a goal. I gave all the glamour up for a chance to climb all the way to the top. Not in that specific manufacturing plant, but all the way to the top of whatever field I so desired to attend. I picked Computer Science and Engineering and delved 4 years of my life working part time and attending college.

I eventually lost touch with most my friends, my family thought I had lost my mind, and I managed to lose a lovely wife and kids into what everyone coins "My Fall." ever so casually.

I didn't care though. My path was finally clear.. I had spent 7 years working in the industry to only reach low middle class. I started to build my life on that wage when I had my "mid-life" crisis at a very young age. I ditched everything I had spent 7 years building to make myself not only a rich man, but to make myself important.

I wanted my individuality. And I turned my back on everything.

I grinded 4 years of college and achieved a 4.0 GPA Bachelors degree in Computer Science and Engineering. But the courses at my local college only prepared me for the field.. They didn't prepare me to really know my # in the field.

Within the next few weeks, I'm going to make my decision on what school I want to spend a $250,000 scholarship on for my Ph.D and beyond.

But it all donned on me the other day. And here's where I was smacked in the face with a bit of wisdom that I'd like to pass onto the world so this may be prevented.

In the span of 4 years I lost everything that defined ME as a person and gave it all away for something that define on what I could achieve.

It was a hard decision. I lost my family in my climb. But I never turned back. Because I literally put my life on hold for the next 10 years (or more) so that when I want to define myself as a person, that I can do it in a very comfortable situation.

On a side note, I spent several hours talking to my exwife the other day. I explained why I'm pushing so hard. For my 2 very lovely daughters.

And she understands that I do not expect her to wait for me, but when I get there, our daughters will be living a life of luxury. And so will she.

She grinned jokingly, and told me that when I get there, she'll still be waiting.

Morals of my story? Don't settle for anything but the best for yourself, your family, or anyone you may hold close to your heart. If you need to step on a few feet on the way, the resulting outcome may be worth it. Only if you do it wisely.

I learned alot from that 10 year experience. And if someone had come up to me 10 years ago, when I walked out of that Highschool a graduate, and informed me of my potential future if I didn't attend college, I would never have thought twice about not attending college.

Don't make the same mistakes I did. I had to literally backtrack and erase 10 years of my life to realize it. Go to school.

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Break out of story and back to thread here. This type of story is what I'm trying to promote. A seriously life changing event that could have been prevented if I read this very story 10 years ago. I'm hoping by throwing this story out, that I give the wisdom and hindsight that comes with it... so that others may avoid the same hardships.

And on a side note, if you have a much smaller, life changing event like how standing on a dirtbike with no hands can seriously jeoperdize your physical health.. well, I encourage those too :w:

Life's full of bumby roads and twists.. lets discuss about what we've learned!