I’m working a dead end job (more like career—I’m a programmer) with no kids. The fun in the work is gone and I feel unmoored. I’d honestly be okay with exhaustion caused by watching kids grow and learn, over the exhaustion I have from being forced to use AI while learning nothing.
I feel you. I’m thinking of getting out of my dead end office job (dead end unless I want to get into management, and I don’t) and apprenticing as an electrician or something. Yeah it’s physically harder but I’m just sick of what I’m doing.
You and I are in the same boat, friend. The money is too hard to turn away. The upside is that I really enjoy the folks I work with. Electrician, plumber, carpenter—they all sound intriguing. My dad went from electrical engineer to carpenter. Loved it.
I also got lucky with my direct coworkers, they’re great. Some of the people from other teams… eh.
I just need to get things squared away so that I can get a good year or two into an apprenticeship, assuming union, then I’d be doing fine financially and by the time I’d get to journeyman I’d be making a little more than currently.
But boy that’s getting tougher to do every day. Rents up, utilities are up, groceries are up. I’m already self hosting several things that have cut out most of my subscriptions (just started hosting music, and it’s actually pretty good, no “discovery” but I’m solving that with excessive numbers). It’s a process, but I’m hopeful I’ll get there in about a year. Also a bit worried I do all this and hate the new thing too lol.
I mean, it’s always been a lot of fun to have kids, exhaustion or not. Literally the greatest and most long running project in most lives, and a source of meaning if not always happiness. I think people are crazy to deny themselves that kind of grounding and foundation to build a life on, but I acknowledge that people have different desires and goals in life.
I’m working a dead end job (more like career—I’m a programmer) with no kids. The fun in the work is gone and I feel unmoored. I’d honestly be okay with exhaustion caused by watching kids grow and learn, over the exhaustion I have from being forced to use AI while learning nothing.
I feel you. I’m thinking of getting out of my dead end office job (dead end unless I want to get into management, and I don’t) and apprenticing as an electrician or something. Yeah it’s physically harder but I’m just sick of what I’m doing.
Can’t take the paycut yet though.
You and I are in the same boat, friend. The money is too hard to turn away. The upside is that I really enjoy the folks I work with. Electrician, plumber, carpenter—they all sound intriguing. My dad went from electrical engineer to carpenter. Loved it.
I also got lucky with my direct coworkers, they’re great. Some of the people from other teams… eh.
I just need to get things squared away so that I can get a good year or two into an apprenticeship, assuming union, then I’d be doing fine financially and by the time I’d get to journeyman I’d be making a little more than currently.
But boy that’s getting tougher to do every day. Rents up, utilities are up, groceries are up. I’m already self hosting several things that have cut out most of my subscriptions (just started hosting music, and it’s actually pretty good, no “discovery” but I’m solving that with excessive numbers). It’s a process, but I’m hopeful I’ll get there in about a year. Also a bit worried I do all this and hate the new thing too lol.
In any case good luck to you.
I mean, it’s always been a lot of fun to have kids, exhaustion or not. Literally the greatest and most long running project in most lives, and a source of meaning if not always happiness. I think people are crazy to deny themselves that kind of grounding and foundation to build a life on, but I acknowledge that people have different desires and goals in life.