I woke up one morning, late in the spring of 2001 and realized that not only did I dislike my job and what I was doing, I hated it.   I tried to give it a fair shake, I truly did, and for a number of months I successfully fooled myself into believing that my job wasn't so bad or that that is the way life was.  I thought "No one likes to go to work".    Besides, the money did an exceptional job of making it all okay.  There was something very strange to me that I could buy whatever I wanted (within reason of course) and yet I still felt unsatisfied.  I felt like something was wrong with me.   It was very unpleasant.

        Through much soul-searching (which I wont get into here, due to length), I decided that I did, in fact, hate my job and that if I stayed there, my life force and joy would slowly but surely be sucked from me until I was a dull, un-motivated, lifeless blob of jelly (rasberry probably).   I realized my time at IBM had come to an end and from that point forward, I was on a different road in life.   I decided to quit my job.  In fact, I decided to quit the entire field of Information Systems.

        After the tough decision to leave the IT field, I had another interesting and equally challenging decision before me.  What to do now?  "Okay sport, you wanna go to greener pastures?  Which one, smart guy?".  The annoying little sarcastic voice of reason had immediately intruded on my euphoria.  But it brought up a good point.  I had some constraints on me.   I knew that I had to do something that would be able to support a family (ie. one wife, and 2 labrador retrievers).  I knew that I wanted to do something that I really enjoyed.  I knew that I had to do something that was going to be challenging.  I knew I had to do something that was a sacrifice to do.  Otherwise, I knew that in a few years I would be right back where I started.  Unhappy. 

        I asked myself "What do I like to do?".  Might as well start with those right?  If you'd do it in your time off from work, why not do it for work.  I know, I know, I'm a genius right?   Well, you'd be surprised, making a decision to do something you enjoy can be surprisingly guilt ridden.  It was for me anyway.  So, I wrote down some of my hobbies on a piece of paper.  Some entries were:  Snow Ski Instructor, Bass Fishing Guide, Pilot, Motorcycle Racer, Stay-at-home-husband (Quit laughing, I'm serious), and a few other run of the mill type things.  Well, that's about as far as I got and then got sidetracked by life for a week or two.  No more thoughts about my future, except my yearning desire to be NOT working at IBM any longer.

        I got a phone call.  Plain and simple, my future was helped along by a phone call.  My friend, Keith, was on the other line.   Let me give you a quick history on Keith.  Went to the same college, didn't really know each other there, worked together at Delta Airlines, became friends, stayed in touch, barely, ended up being the only friend I had when I took a semester off from college, and we again worked at Delta (2nd time), stayed in touch again, missed his wedding (I am a bad bad friend), and then ran into him online.  'Nuff?  Good.  

        Well, anyway, I picked up the phone, and Keith was on the other line.  Basically he was calling to ask me some piloting questions since I already had my private pilots license.  I answered his questions and asked why he was getting his pilots license.  He said, that he had decided that although he too had a good, stable job, he burned to do something more challenging, more fun, etc etc.   Just like me.  I was slightly taken aback because he had already done that once and had just settled down into his new lifestyle.  Now, for whatever reason, he gave me hope.  I might have squandered my chance at leaving IBM because of indecision, but I will tell you the truth.  He inspired me.  He awoke my desire to become a professional pilot.  Here was a guy who had switched career tracks TWICE! and was ready to do it all over again.....and he is 3 years older than I am.  He showed me that it is never too late, its never over, and there is no reason to settle.   I am eternally grateful to Keith.

        So, I thought about it some more for a few days before breaking the news to my girlfriend, Donell.  I made sure, in my heart that it was indeed what I wanted to do.  I made sure that it wasn't a flash in the pan idea.  I made sure that I was going to have the grit and determination to see it through.  Basically, I made my mind up.  I broke the news to my girlfriend.

        Donell has been my #1 supporter from day one.   She immediately accepted that I had made a decision that I felt was right and even though it meant sacrifices for her too, she encouraged me to follow my heart.  This is no easy task, mind you, as she had a solid boyfriend with a very secure career, making decent money, and with a very very good-looking future.  She gave that up without a moments hesitation, so that I could be happy and that is one of the many reasons that I love her with all of my heart.  Throughout the entire ordeal of getting selected she has never once faltered in her support and I hope that one day I can repay her strength.   I could not have done this without her, and will require her more than ever once training begins.  She is, and always be the wind beneath my wings.................(okay, okay, VERY dorky way of putting it, but if it wasn't for that terrible song, it would have been a very smooth thing to say, cripes!).   I had the support of the one I love.

        Now that I knew I wanted to be a pilot, which kind did I want be?  Yes, of course, a rich pilot with a wonderful life.  An Airline pilot.  They make buckets of money, have great benefits, and generally work, about whenever they feel like it.  How do I know all of this you may ask?  My dad is a pilot for Delta.  He knows he has it good.  And so do I.    But you have to be trained to be an Airline pilot.  Minimum requirements dictate that you need at least 3000 hours of flight time before you can even submit your papers to one of the major carriers.  Let's do some math here.  3000 hours, assuming you flew 8 hours each and every day without a break, would take you 375 days.   Doesn't sound like much?  3000 hours also translates into 125 DAYS in the air.   That kind of flight time does not come easy......or cheap.

        I had a few options, all of which I investigated very heavily. First, I could pay for my own training($20k - $50k), become an instructor, and eventually hire on with a small commuter airline for a few years and then hope to be picked up (scary because not everyone is picked up) by a Major Carrier.   Second, I could do basically the same, except instead of becoming an instructor, i could get a job with a little freight outfit flying cleared checks from one place to another.  Third, i could join the military and have them pay for training and pay me at the same time.  Gotta be a catch right? There is.  They own you for a number of years.   Lastly, I could try to get an reserve pilot spot from a Unit and have them send me to pilot training and have them own me, instead of active duty.   Ahhh, decisions.