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In reply to the discussion: Unemployable At 50 Fate Of Present And Future Workers [View all]tapermaker
(244 posts)but I am a 54 yr old former construction dog.I lost my work with a longtime employer in 2007. I was 48 yrs old with a highschool education and no prospects for being rehired. I lost my home to forclosure and was heading towards homeless. My mother helped out by letting me live in a mobile home she owned. She asked that when i got on my feet to help pay the site payments.I looked for a while but got no offers. I had been an avid flyfisherman and had collected a respectable collection of old bamboo fly rods I started selling them off on ebay to help live . I had over the years developed the skills of the hobby and decided i was going to make a website(www.stonerodco.com) and begin a business in making and repairing new and antique bamboo flyrods .It`s been 6 yrs now , and i have clients from all over the globe. I made a profit my first year of 30,000 dollars and it has consistantly grown since then to around 50,000.I no longer have to get up each day and work in whatever weather comes that day. I havent lifted anything over 50 lbs since 2007 for work. I plan on getting my healthcare next yr. when the exchanges are in place . I have been without ins. for the last 15 yrs.. I am able to support myself and have started to pay my mother for the mobile home and the site payments. My story is one way to go out on your own terms.We all are interested in something ,have some hobby or knowledge gained over the years we can use to free ourselves from the rat race of being an employee.If you cant rely on the system to work for you , take a chance on yourself as a boss . I highly recommend it .