Figured this may start some actual discussion and not just posts of thanks or random crap.

Anyhow...

Im 24. Im male. Im intelligent. Im not being modest or anything im just stating simple facts without wanting to appear like a vain egotist. Im called Phil! Hi.

My problem is i have no idea what i want to do in life. I mean, yeah, we al have dreams about perfect lives and perfect jobs, playing poker for a living, winning the lottery, basically having everything handed to us on a plate.

Fact of life - This is stupid. It NEVER happens. Well it does, but the odds of it being me? 1 in 14 million. Probably more.

I wasnt born into a rich family. Yeah i had a good education, one that was paid for by m parents but that was not my choice. MY mum and dad divorced when i was 5 and both remarried. My Dad's wife (they are still together) and me didnt really get on, this was due to psychological reasons on both sides, mine because i was young, hers because she couldnt have kids she thought. Since then they have had 2 kids and we get on better now ive moved away and see them alot less. My mum remarried and had a son, who i see alot, and then they divorced. So i guess ive been thru more than most family wise, deaths, divorces, the kinds of things you see people on TV and in life going for therapy about. I never have, because i dont want to appear weak, and im too damn lazy to even think if its affected me.

I started working at 16 after doing my GCSE's (For you americans, these are UK exams that all 16 year olds must take, like your finals at high school i guess, but we take on average 11 of them in different subjects, then we continue on to A levels for 2 years doing 3 or 4 subjects at a further level). I got great GCSE results. I didnt revise or take anythign in, i got through by being lazy and having a quick brain that remembers alot of things. The fact i can say this is good i think.

I worked from 16-18 as a waiter. I was good at it, i also worked in the kitchen as a chef, i was ok at this but i hated the fact im not interacting with different people. I left at 18 to work in a bar. I liked this, i was good at this. I can flare a bit, not like you see on TV ut enough to make it look decent. I am amazing with customers. Thats the reason why im i was good at the job. I left here for a different bar (more busy), and fro there i went tow ork in a taxi office (more hours better pay).

I started as a controller. Basically a guy who answers the phones and sends the cabs to pick them up. The guy you hear on the radio. I was there for 6 months, starting off on the quiet shifts as im new. Problem with this job is noone has any idea how hard it is. You have 20 cabs working. You answer all the phones, give out all the jobs, and write everything down. There is no computer to do it for you. You need t learnt he entire area, where all the roads are, you do have a map but it takes too long, so as long as you know the maor areas and where abouts the other places are, your fine. After about a year and a half i knew pretty much everywhere, and if not an exact road, i knew where abouts this road would be. Then on one of my shifts it got REALLY busy. The manager was on driving, and noticed that i was more efficient, because i was being tested. It was hard to keep up, but i was doing it, and doing it well. The trick is with this job is to do the office stuff without thinking, and the actual job allocation with all your brains. This is to save on dead mileage (cars crossing to get to different jobs when they are nearer to others. With 2-5 cars -easy! with 10+ cars at once, bloody hard). So then they gave me busier shifts. After 2 months i was doing every single busy shift, friday and saturday nights e.t.c. I got a pay rise. I got promoted to marketing and acounts manager.

The great thing about this ob was you saw and spoke to so many people. My best attribute at any job is my ability to converse with anyone, and make it chatty and friendly e.t.c. Customer service you might call it. Our office was in the middle of town, so there were always people coming to ask for taxis, so i got to know EVERYONE. IT helped if you were ever getting abuse, as the local "hard guys" you chatted to, so they would back you up. The police also backed you up as you helped them out with witness statements for any trouble. And, this is gonna sound so callous, it was the best job ever for picking up girls. And more often than not, sober ones!!! You could flirt and whatever as its what your meant to do, and i loved it.

After 3 years i got fired. For gross miscondct. I was off sick and phoned up saying i was off sick. When i got back, they said i hadnt phoned. I phoned u phone company, got all the records, they were screwed. They offered me my job back, i said no as i didnt trust them any more (im still unsure as to why they did this). I settled out of court for a cash payoff type thing. Not much, but enough to keep me going for a bit.

With this i got REALLY lazy. This was just before i won the $65k tournament. After that, and when the money had been paid off/spent, i went to work for another firm for a bit, but it was too quiet and i got bored. I also had a telesales job, but the place closed down after 4 months.

After splitting u with my GF of 3 years, i went to work in KAvos, Corfu, Greece for a summer. I met a girl there after a shot while and moved back to bristol, UK with her. Where i got a job, in a bar. After 5 months, we moved back to where i am from, and i got a job, in a bar and in a taxi firm (see a pattern?).

From here we deciede to go to Blackpool, wher ei am now. I got a job in a Casino, but she hated the hours (working till 7am sucks) so i left for a bar job. Where i still am. Since then we have split up, and i am single and here alone.



My problem is simple. Ive missed the prime time in my life to obtain a career. I know i still have alot of options, but in my life ive become lazy, and while i am getting by right now, im in debt a bit (as is everyone i guess), i dont earn a whole lot, and am constantly bored. I like being tested, i feel thats hwy in poker i play better when i play good people, as im constantly thinking, thats why in bigger tourneys and higher stakes i do better, as its mroe on the line, more pressure. Im the first to admit i make some DUMBASS moves when im bored or have no interest. I actually lost all in once on purpose in a $5 buyin id regged for by accident, because i couldnt be bothered to play a whole lot of time against idiots for like $20. Stupid huh???


So yeah, im 24, and i have no idea what i want to do in life.

I always wanted to work for a poker site, i had an interview once but they filled the job in house as the guy who was off sick came back and said he would take the job. Sucks to be me. Noone else is really hiring right now (i have a CV in with the right people)

I also wanted to be a sports commentator, but your need journalism qualifications for that, and im waaay to old ot start that, and way too poor.

I would lvoe to be a teacher, but 4 years of college seems alot, you get a grant to help, but in 4 years time... im 28. Thats half my life (if i keep smoking lol).

So yeah, i wouldnt mind running a pub, its a challenge and its not a badly paid job, and i think id enjoy it, but with the job situation in the UK as it is, noone is looking for that kind of people as they are keeping their already loyal staff (as noone leaves jobs right now), and just hirng part time muppets to do the dirty work for them (i.e weekend shifts)

Aside from this i have no money to start my own business, though i do have a good idea for one, i have no contacts due to the whole moving around thing.



The way i look at it is, i either stay where i am, get promoted soon and mvoe up. Or, go abroad in summer, earn a decent wage working in Majorca(Spain) in a resort doing whatever i can, save up, and either invest ther ein a bar (Easily done), or bring that home and move somrewhere like London/Manchester, and find a real 9-5 job, or i go to university.



Anyone got any thoughts/advice/comments??

Not just 1 line answers for 15 chips please, proper thought out answers without overuse of the acronys "LOL" and "WTF".

Thanks guys.



EDIT - P.S - Noticed i got ony 25 chips for this post, thought it was longer = more chips??? And this took me ages!!! Dont respond to this bit, itll take the whole thread off topic, please.