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Went to the urologist yesterday. Im getting prescribed some medications that effectively end my ability to fly.

They told me I could get another job, but with my contract almost up I’m probably just going to get out all together.

Some family friends own an ice cream business, so I’m in the process of buying that. Freedom and entrepreneurship will be amazing for me.

My leadership in the AF have not found out yet, so we will see how that goes. I still have to play the games though because there’s a chance I’ll get disability or medically retired. I need them on my side the best I can to help with that bureaucratic process.

 

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It sounds like you will be going in a completely different direction, which can be scary, esp. after having a career for a presumably long time. I don't know anything about the ice cream business. It sounds like it's seasonal, but I'm sure that depends on where you're located. I wish you the best of luck in your new endeavors.

 

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Having your own business is the best way to go.

 

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Having your own business is the best way to go.

I agree- but conditionally. It is a LOT of work- iow, a LOT of hours. I ran a business for 9 and a half years- I was a subcontractor in the automotive industry. My clients were car dealers and body shops and because they were open 70 hours / week, I also was open for those hours- and that is before I factored in travelling (I was mobile), some later-than-normal evenings, doing the book work, washing the vehicles, tracking the inventory and on and on and on. Maybe it was just my personality, but I was NEVER able to get away from it. I'm not exaggerating when I say that if I got up to go to the bathroom at 3 AM on Christmas Eve, I was still aware of all that was going on in the business- i.e. what am I going to do about this problem, what am I going to do about that problem...? Self- employment offers some significant freedoms and rewards, but keep in mind that you must strike a balance between work and play. 'Play' includes everything else- family, sleep, crises on the home-front, vacation, friends, going to the gym, hobbies etc. Ask yourself if your bladder control issues are going to be manageable, or will they be a hindrance? If I'd had these problems back then, I wouldn't have been able to pull it off. Having said all that, some businesses are perfect for the challenges we face- you will know best, based on the severity of your issues, your personality, and the stage of life you are in. I do hope you are able to make it work if you choose this path, and I wish you the best of luck !!!

 

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ExploringResources -- Wow! I'm sorry to hear that!! Yes, I hope you can get disability or medical retirement from the AF. Buying an ice cream business? Hope that works out for you. Being your own boss will be a big change. You may find yourself working long, hard hours. Guess it all depends. I wish you well!

 

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jeffswet, Right it is an all encompassing occupation depending on the business. I knew a couple who had a tiny little sandwich shop in the Colorado mountains. They worked their hinnies off during the ski season and saved their money. In April they went to a tropical island in the Pacific until time to start the business again. On the other hand my husband (it works best to have a partner) and I owned a mom and pop motel in the mountains for 10 years and it was a 24/7 job, partly because we also had a gas station, gift shop and in the summer a greenhouse nursery (we did hire some help!). During the ski season we were also the Trailways Bus agent, Western Union agent and a taxi agent. But we also managed to be very active in the small community and county. It was a better education than going to college which both of us had done.

We saw our business as "that's who we are" and we committed to the experiment for at least 5 years but that got extended after our goals changed. We involved our children and they learned about business (and people) too. It was a hard life and we were in our 40s with four teens.

I value that experience above any other we had in earning a living. So "Exploring Resources" I wish you well also.

 

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@ExploringResources, I'm sorry that things are working out this way. Fortunately, you seem to have a great attitude about it, and that's 80% of the battle. I commend you for your forward-looking vision!

I owned a small manufacturing business for eight years back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and I agree with others that it's a lot of work. In my case, I reached a point that I had to either shut it down or grow it into something that would support my family. I chose to shut it down because I couldn't health insurance at that time (pre-Obamacare, and my preexisting conditions got me flatly turned down by every insurer I spoke with). As much work as it was, and as many hours as I poured into it, I still miss it, and found owning a business to be one of the most rewarding things I've ever done. I hope you get the same enjoyment from your business as I did from mine!

Meanwhile, there's still aviation. Requirements for a third-class medical are easy, and most private pilots can fly under BasicMed with no current medical needed. Balloons and gliders don't require a medical at all, so you simply self-certify that you're medically fit to fly. Then there are LSAs that have a driver's license medical, and ultralights and paramotors that require no certification at all. In short, there are lots of ways to get your feet off the ground no matter what your medical situation is.

 

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I worked as an independent contractor in film and music video production for most of the past 11 years (before that, I had a desk job music video production, but it was a small company so didn’t have major corporate benefits). It was a lot of work to be that responsible for myself but I really enjoyed my personal endeavors and travel that I was able to do when I was working on my own schedule.

A few months ago I started working as a producer at the world’s largest video game company. I decided it’s time to grow up and get things like a 401(k). But it is pretty stifling to work at a corporation in some ways. The creativity has limits. The responsibility is insane. I don’t get to pick and choose who I work with and I don’t like the people on my immediate team at all. Part of why I have the flu so bad right now, for the past 12 days, is that in October, November, and December I didn’t work for less than 18 hours per day and often up to 22 hours per day. I was really worn down. That much overtime is not sustainable, so I’ll see how long I last with the corporation. I Tried leaving the world of entertainment but that’s definitely not for me; I really love the business.

On the other hand, I love the part of the corporation like being in the Toastmasters Club, taking free classes on animation and sound effects, etc. But my average day to day work sucks. Part of that is because I actually have a boss now! I wouldn’t mind if I actually liked her. She is younger than me and gossipy. There is zero Smalltalk on my team. Like on a Monday, in our first meeting, there is no talk like “How are you today? How was your weekend?“ Absolutely nothing like that. I think that’s really rude. When I started, nobody was told anything back about my background nor was I introduced to any of them and their backgrounds, they just all started teaching me what my assignments were. It was really weird.

One of the main drivers for me leaving this job will probably be so I can return to working with people who I actually like.

In any case, I really hope your ice cream business thrives. My AP American History teacher in high school owned a frozen custard business with a few shops. He told us he made more money in the summers with those shops than he did as a teacher! And I don’t think he had to do much work for them, either.