Do You Have a Second Life Field?

[donbosco]

A Question - Most everyone has a field they think of as their main focus. Some folks find it lucky that it coincides with their job, other enjoy the disconnection. Indeed, sometimes that focus lives outside of how we make money. Here’s what I’m asking: Is there something that you studied or trained for (on your own or more formally) that technically falls outside of what you ‘do?’

I’m a teacher but music classes in high school and later informal study of Spanish are two things that I count as essentially enriching for my life. There was also once a Folklore class that tends to rattle around in my thoughts pretty constantly. And of course I could mention 25 years tending bar -- an occupation that never leaves my thoughts!

How about you? Ceramics? Mechanics? Aztec Philosophy? Woodworking? Tending bar? Cooking? Painting? Do you have a second ‘Life Field?’

 

[finesse]

Duplicate bridge for me. With my customary style and grace, I've sort of slid between the cracks and avoided being much noticed. I've never even made Life Master. I've won all the points I need and more at the sectional, regional and national level but just can't do it at the local level.

Still, I've had a lot of fun, met some interesting and smart people and got to play with and against a number of world champions (they have as many as wrestling federations) including Bermuda Bowls ( a serious event). A buddy of mine and I actually were defending champions for a year once within the state.

 

[ChileG]

I majored in journalism at UNC but have never been a journalist.

I started playing guitar at age 33 and it has been a fairly big part of my life since.

 

[Centerpiece]

Sort of a mutt here.
Studied design in college; got a job in a related field for 2 years; quit everything and went to busk the streets of Europe for 7 years; returned stateside and became a school teacher (wound up teaching Culinary Arts in HS); coached football, baseball and basketball; now retired I play jazz and other styles of music - playing gigs in WNC. Music has always been my avocation - but that side hustle still brings in some coin into the household.

 

[ZZLPHeels]

I grew up studying aviation. I was a military brat and we were always flying around the world, which only served to amplify my interest. As a kid I collected the paper timetables that airlines still gave out back then. At most airports I could tell you exactly what type of plane you were looking at and where it was going to or coming from. My dream was to become a pilot. Wanted to go the military route through a service academy. Ended up getting a drinking ticket late in high school that sunk those dreams, or so I was told. Still have a tremendous passion for aviation, I still study timetables and routes and still fly whenever I have the time and money to, which is usually once or twice per year. FR24 is a great app for me, I love seeing a contrail way up in the sky and telling my wife "looks like a Delta A330, probably heading to Paris or Frankfurt from Atlanta" and having her pull the app up and be baffled when that is exactly what pops up.

What sucks is that I always thought that I could have the best of both worlds by doing a career that I enjoyed and maybe getting my private pilot's license and flying on the side. Well, my job involves seeing a lot of horrific things and I had an issue a few years ago where I would wake up in the middle of the night with night terrors. Went to therapy and eventually the problem resolved itself, haven't had an issue since. Unfortunately, because I went to therapy and was diagnosed with a mental health issue (even a temporary one), I can't get approved by the FAA for the medical license needed to get my PPL. I asked my therapist why I was diagnosed with an issue and he said that he had to diagnose me with something in order for insurance to cover my visits every two weeks. Big bummer, trying to do the right thing and having a dream ruined as a result. After doing research into the topic I've discovered that airline pilots are absolutely terrified to seek any sort of mental health care for fear of being grounded.

 

[UNCatTech]

I grew up studying aviation. I was a military brat and we were always flying around the world, which only served to amplify my interest. As a kid I collected the paper timetables that airlines still gave out back then. At most airports I could tell you exactly what type of plane you were looking at and where it was going to or coming from. My dream was to become a pilot. Wanted to go the military route through a service academy. Ended up getting a drinking ticket late in high school that sunk those dreams, or so I was told. Still have a tremendous passion for aviation, I still study timetables and routes and still fly whenever I have the time and money to, which is usually once or twice per year. FR24 is a great app for me, I love seeing a contrail way up in the sky and telling my wife "looks like a Delta A330, probably heading to Paris or Frankfurt from Atlanta" and having her pull the app up and be baffled when that is exactly what pops up.

What sucks is that I always thought that I could have the best of both worlds by doing a career that I enjoyed and maybe getting my private pilot's license and flying on the side. Well, my job involves seeing a lot of horrific things and I had an issue a few years ago where I would wake up in the middle of the night with night terrors. Went to therapy and eventually the problem resolved itself, haven't had an issue since. Unfortunately, because I went to therapy and was diagnosed with a mental health issue (even a temporary one), I can't get approved by the FAA for the medical license needed to get my PPL. I asked my therapist why I was diagnosed with an issue and he said that he had to diagnose me with something in order for insurance to cover my visits every two weeks. Big bummer, trying to do the right thing and having a dream ruined as a result. After doing research into the topic I've discovered that airline pilots are absolutely terrified to seek any sort of mental health care for fear of being grounded.

Maybe as we better understand mental health, this restriction can be amended.

I believe at one time the Air Force wouldn't allow any vision correction for pilots, but i believe that has changed with advancea in vision correction.

 

[UNCatTech]

I'm not fully understanding the question. Are you asking what we may choose as an alternative profession? Maybe in retirement?

 

[finesse]

I took it as asking about an avocation outside your vocation that was more about pleasure than profit.


That's what my son does with refereeing fencing. He's on his way back from California where he worked a big tournament this past weekend. They flew him out but he declined the return ticket. He picked up a spare car in Davis from his in laws that they had been planning to give my son and his wife as a family car and is driving back.

 

[rodoheel]

I think I would have to say message board posting

 

[Batt Boy]

I am retired. My second life efforts are two: poetry (just for me and my work will remain unknown to everyone) and Bridge bidding strategies(ideas beyond Staymen, Blackwood, Gerber, etc). These only take up about 1% of my time because I remain busy on my farm, with travel, and with my grandkids.

 

[Huh?]

I yell at clouds every chance I get. Amateur status with a low handicap.

 

[finesse]

I am retired. My second life efforts are two: poetry (just for me and my work will remain unknown to everyone) and Bridge bidding strategies(ideas beyond Staymen, Blackwood, Gerber, etc). These only take up about 1% of my time because I remain busy on my farm, with travel, and with my grandkids.

If you want to look at something different when it comes to bidding strategies, a buddy of mine and I used to play EHAA (Every Hand An Adventure) that was based on destructive bidding and disruption. We played a 10-12 No Trump, five card majors, had no strong game forcing opening so played week twos in all four suits and any 5 points and five cards was a mandatory week two regardless of quality among other things. What was amazing was how much information you could infer in partner couldn't open. Took a similar approach with defensive and competitive bidding.

Strong club players with their artificial responses hated us. Well, so did a lot of people but the strong club players hated the system as well.

 

[ChapelHillSooner]

My second life field is being an NBA star. Genetics got in the way of that one.

I do have a weird obsession with sports stadiums. If I can I will count the number of rows on any gym I see. Probably working for Populous would be kind of cool but I have no architectural background other than drafting stadium designs as a child - which I attribute to helping develop my engineering mind along with doing some very basic (literally BASIC) programming on a TRS-80 COCO as a child.

Other than that, I do have an EE degree but just do coding. Don't really think that counts.

Along the same lines of being an NBA star, sex work for hot MILFs would be a cool job.

 

[Batt Boy]

If you want to look at something different when it comes to bidding strategies, a buddy of mine and I used to play EHAA (Every Hand An Adventure) that was based on destructive bidding and disruption. We played a 10-12 No Trump, five card majors, had no strong game forcing opening so played week twos in all four suits and any 5 points and five cards was a mandatory week two regardless of quality among other things. What was amazing was how much information you could infer in partner couldn't open. Took a similar approach with defensive and competitive bidding.

Strong club players with their artificial responses hated us. Well, so did a lot of people but the strong club players hated the system as well.

Thanks. I'd say I'm a natural get in/out quick anyway and I don't need to note the type of overcalls, just their level.

 

[RaiGuy]

I thought this thread was about Second Life, the virtual world game that came out like 20 years ago. I also just googled it and realized it still exists, so I am surprised by that as well lol.

 

[UNCatTech]

I think I would have to say message board posting

You do have a propensity for that.

 

[UNCatTech]

If you want to look at something different when it comes to bidding strategies, a buddy of mine and I used to play EHAA (Every Hand An Adventure) that was based on destructive bidding and disruption. We played a 10-12 No Trump, five card majors, had no strong game forcing opening so played week twos in all four suits and any 5 points and five cards was a mandatory week two regardless of quality among other things. What was amazing was how much information you could infer in partner couldn't open. Took a similar approach with defensive and competitive bidding.

Strong club players with their artificial responses hated us. Well, so did a lot of people but the strong club players hated the system as well.

Any system with no trump is a great system.

 

[UNCatTech]

My second life field is being an NBA star. Genetics got in the way of that one.

I do have a weird obsession with sports stadiums. If I can I will count the number of rows on any gym I see. Probably working for Populous would be kind of cool but I have no architectural background other than drafting stadium designs as a child - which I attribute to helping develop my engineering mind along with doing some very basic (literally BASIC) programming on a TRS-80 COCO as a child.

Other than that, I do have an EE degree but just do coding. Don't really think that counts.

Along the same lines of being an NBA star, sex work for hot MILFs would be a cool job.

Basic on the TRS-80, that brings back memories.

I recall when they sold versions of home computers in department stores, like Belk, I would quickly code an infinite loop basic program, then ask the sales guy to demonstrate the computer. 9 out of 10 couldn't gracefully exit the loop.

 

[UNCatTech]

Thanks. I'd say I'm a natural get in/out quick anyway and I don't need to note the type of overcalls, just their level.

I believe i need to learn to play bridge.

How close is it to spades? Learned to play spades in jail so I know every permutation.

 

[finesse]

I believe i need to learn to play bridge.

How close is it to spades? Learned to play spades in jail so I know every permutation.

It's similar in concept of card play but bidding and the idea of a dummy is so different. Check out Bridge Base Online. You can get a simple introduction to the basics or watch experts play.