Wow, it's like JWN was calling me. I had left and wasn't coming back, but I was researching a medical condition that is new to me (Gout) and I finished and decided to check JWN again.
I started late in my current field (at age 35) and personal circumstances in my youth- reckless alcoholic with no career plans- kept me from having any money. Later, being led to think that the end of "this system" was so close that I should focus on just getting by and not planning for retirement allowed me to waste another nearly 10 years until they changed "generation" and I realized I needed a career and a retirement plan. It took another 5 years after the generation change to get my current career.
So, the point is that I became a firefighter at age 35, as a G.E.D. recipient with no college. I will need to stay until the madatory retirement age of 63 to have a decent retirement plan. Despite aiding my wife to get her master's degree, she won't be much help beyond social security in the retirement department as she still invests time in being a JW.
I am not complaining. I am just answering your thoughts. That does give me time to become a a licensed therapist. It is not out of the question, but I would be establishing a practice part time in my very early 60's and I just don't know that I have it in me. It's one thing to pass on my experience to other ex-JW's and join the many voices of advice. It's quite another thing to be the main source of wisdom/advice/guidance for people in trouble. Let me say why.
I was a mess when I "found" the religion of JW's. I did not deal with my demons until after fading, two decades later. I saw that after making a mess of my life, I made the terrible mistake of joining a cult. In that cult, I was chosen as an elder, someone in religious circles that is similar to a therapist, but with no real training or background in this case. While I have become "content with my regrets" (a line in a Rascal Flatts song) I have decided not to pursue advancement in the fire dept. because of my past. I do not desire to be the lead decision maker for a team of people in a dangerous situation, where their lives may depend on my decisions. I will make those decisions if need be in a situation, but I don't plan to regularly be that guy.
That said, I can't see that I might want to be in a similar position as a therapist. If I missed something and someone were to hurt themself under my care, I would probably blame myself heavily.
But thanks for the vote of confidence.
