Joe,

Thank you for the compliment. With me, I think it's a case of "once bitten, twice shy", since I tried that about 20 years ago, and failed due to poor management skills. I was young and single, with few cares.

Now, I have a wife, a teenage son, many animals, a mortgage payment, health insurance payments, car insurance payments, etc. I don't have a 401k, and Social Security is projected to be bankrupt before I reach retirement age. My grandmother left me $50k when she died a few years ago, and my parents (now retired) are financially comfortable.

The thought of the risks vs. rewards of being my own boss again is appealing at times, but the risk seems too great, especially considering my track record. I think that my best course of action is to apply for a government job, or perhaps a job at a medium-to-large sized company that can provide me with a guaranteed paycheck plus much-needed benefits.

My family has been supportive of the latter idea, so I believe that will be my best course of action, when the 'pink-slip' eventually but inevitably shows up sometime this year. I'm educated, and I don't mind getting my hands dirty. My political and other 'people' skills are a little rough, but I can usually attribute these problems to ignorance or a big mouth. If I can work on those two things, I cautiously like my chances.

Sincerely,

Michael Barry
Technician
Quick Stop Smog & More
Sacramento, California, USA