[Talk Host]

I am always fascinated by the things that people did for a living during their working years. Some residents are not yet retired (I'm not). I have spent the past 45 years in the broadcasting business. For most of those years I was on-the-air on radio and television. Now I run a company that is related to radio and television stations nationwide. I love living at the Villages so I can enjoy life here and still stay involved in my business.

Some people think my job was glamorous, but after a while, it was like any other job. It was never easy. The harder you work, the more you earn.

I am keenly interested in every profession. Please tell us about what you did, or still do.

JLK

[CitrusSister]

Hi! I was in Radio as well for over 25 years. I retired from that profession while I was on KNUZ in Houston, Texas. It was an oldies station along with the sister station KQUE. Do you know either of them?

I live in The Villages now. Polo Ridge. Wouldn't mind getting on the air here...Probably have to stand in line for that!

Steve Robinson

[JohnZ]

I started out by earning a B.S. in Medical Technology. What's that? All the blood tests you have ever had done are performed by Med Techs. Lots of diagnoses are determined that way. I specialized in clinical chemistry for eight years and loved it. Other areas of the clinical lab that I worked are hematology, microbiology, immunohematology, serology and histology. The pay wasn't all that great and I had kids to send to college so I went back to school, this time for a Chemical Engineering degree. I worked for Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Kleenex, Huggies, Kotex brands and others) and worked at the corporate staff level in environmental science and energy affairs. I left the company in November of last year....but I still work as a Senior Consultant for a global engineering firm...from home mostly....but I have an office in Bradenton, FL which I somtimes feel inclined to visit now and then. What else? Heck, my wife and I make the best ice cream in town....well Patty does it all really. I'm responsible for "building engineering" as Patty likes to call it (read-maintenance). Bruster's in Mulberry Grove. Visit us and say hi!

[tony]

I started out in life as an industrial chemist. (The real kind of chemist, not the one who worked street corners.) My original goal was to become a pharmacist, but I got sidetracked by the retail side of pharmacy.

Also, I was a professional photographer with my own business.

From there I lost my direction ( : )and went into newspapers and eventually became a city editor, which I did for almost 20 years. During this time I hosted TV interview shows, and did some TV documentaries on the side.

When it was time to change professions, just because it was time to change, I was fortunate enough to stay with the same newspaper as a systems analyst and developer.

I wrote professional software for my own software company for quite a spell also.

For the life me I just couldn't figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up.

If there is a job description to cover it, I probably did it.

[JohnZ]

LOL Tony, we're all still growing up. We acquire so many skills over the years.....maybe it could be considered wisdom. How do we put this all to good use now? The older population, with whom I include myself, have much to offer society. Do you ever get the feeling that we, because of our age, are considered passe?

[tony]

Many other societies revere age, and equate it with wisdom.

If you hit 54 here . . . you fill in the rest. :dontknow:

[Sandy222]

We never know where I life experiences lead us. ;D I started out as a telephone operator (Just like Lily Tomlin) then ended up running a material hardness laboratory . This was a very interesting job and one that not many people realize even exist. To briefly explain "All" material , metal, plastic, rubber, glass have a certain hardness level that must be met in the production process. I ran the lab that made the industry standards for the country. Our job was was to insure that the metal used in that dental pick didn't break off, or that the rubber on your sneaker didn't fall off, or that bubble gum wasn't tough. We were an intregal part of almost every production manufacturing company. After working there for almost 25 years , I now enjoy this peaceful life in The Villages fully assured that all material hardness issues are in good hands.

[JohnZ]

Sandy: I find that the spikes on my golf shoes wear out prematurely (IMHO). What gives with that (LOL)?

[Sandy222]

John, you know I have the same problem with my golf shoes. I consider that a good problem. LOL

[JohnZ]

A Question. What did you aspire to become as child, an adolescent and young adult. What was your dream?Did you pursue your dream? If not....why not? Obstacles? Regrets? Post a response and I'll post my aspirations. Curious?

[Talk Host]

From the time I was a small child (as far back as I can remember) I wanted to do only one thing. From my very soul, I wanted to be on radio and television. At age, about 7, I built my first radio receiver and remember to this day the first sound I heard through the earphones. At age about 11 I bought my first "transistor" radio and listened to radio stations all across the country. At age about 12, I built a low power transmitter and broadcast from my bedroom to the neighborhood. At age 16, I got my first job at WEIR radio in Weirton, West Virginia. From that day to this, I have enjoyed my lifelong dream. In addition to having been heard and seen on radio and television stations all over the world, my voice image continues to appear on over 250,000 radio and television commercials and programs every year in North America. I loved it at age 16 and I love it today.

[swrinfla]

Well, now, Talk Host! You can't just tell us you're voice is on a gazillion commercials, etc., without elaborating at least a little!!!! Surely, there are others out there/here who want to know who you are or whether, when they hear, will say, "I know that voice!"

As part of the original intent of this thread, I started out in the advertising world as a market researcher, then moved into the travel agency scene. Neither really energized me, but I lived a comfortable life, and continue to do so here in The Villages. When in the travel business, I seldom could travel on my own, so that's my Thing, now.

[Kitria]

As long as I can recall, I was a teacher. As young..when playing school, I was always the teacher. I taught others to play games. I was also a wonderful student of baseball and football. Playing dolls with the girls was way to prissy for me. Get me into a game and I am happy.

So..after 5 colleges and a 15 year spring break, in which I worked, got married, had 2 wonderful daughters, worked, then went back to college I finally found myself with my first class in a public school. I had, before that run my own daycare, and had my own kindergarten. I progressed as my children grew. In the public school system I taught from kindergarten to 8th grade..ending up for 7 years in 7th and 8th grade teaching English, math, and computer science (created by me...for my action research project for my master's degree).

After 30 years of dedicating my life to my family and students, I retired. I still teach, however, as I see someone needing a small tip in golf, or in the pool while exercising, or friends needing help with computers. Just can't help myself.

I still learn everyday. A great teacher never stops teaching and never stops learning.

[GERALDINE]

Originally Posted by JohnZ

A Question. What did you aspire to become as child, an adolescent and young adult. What was your dream?Did you pursue your dream? If not....why not? Obstacles? Regrets? Post a response and I'll post my aspirations. Curious?

More than anything and from as young an age as I can remember, I wanted to be a nurse. I went to nursing school in Ann Arbor, MI. and completed 2.5 years of a 3 year RN program before getting very ill and having to drop out of school for about 3 months. My husband (who I 1st met when I was 9 and he was 10 ... we were neighbors) was studying Aerospace Engineering at U of M and I, in my infinite wisdom, thought it would be a GREAT idea if we got married while he was still in school and I was recuperating. Bad idea ... from the standpoint it was my intent to work and put him through his last year of school and then I'd go back and finish up my RN. Well, I never got back. Before my husband graduated, I became pregnant with our first child, a daughter, and one thing led to another and I just never went back to school. THAT will be my dying regret!! I currently live vicariously through that daughter, as at the age of 36 and with 4 children under the age of 10 ... She became a nurse last May. :bigthumbsup:

I went on to become a ParaLegal and truly enjoyed my years of working in the legal arena. I worked for the County Sheriff's Office, the Prosecutor's Office, and in private law. One of my favorite jobs was Director of Legal Advocacy at a shelter for abused women and children in Michigan. VERY rewarding work. I also combined my medical knowledge with my legal knowledge and worked as a medical paralegal, reviewing medical cases for attorneys and putting the medical language into that which all could understand.

Probably more information than you wanted, eh????

[funnygirl]

I have been an RN for 37 years and have worked in almost all specialties. I was also a major in the California National Guard/ Army Nurse Corps. I have had an exciting career until I came to Florida. Working here is quite different from working in California. There isn't a wide range of opportunities for nurses here and the salary is not great. TVRH is not a great place to work and that is unfortunate.