OK DarkWitless you asked
I had a full scholarship to Law school. My high school guidance counselor talked me into going to penn state and taking pre-law for 2 years instead of jumping right in - he was worried that the jump right into law school I'd flunk out or quit. I was a bit of a hell raiser at the time.
I enrolled in penn state at the last minute and missed any grants or scholarships. I had to work full time nights to pay for school and support my mom. I couldn't do both - so I quit school my mom being more important (btw I took care of my mom in my home up until the day she died). I worked maintenance where I learned how to weld. After I quit school I got a daytime job with a door company. The door company brought a guy in to teach me welding and I became a master welder. soon I was the shop foreman. while welding on a jobsite I was knocked off scaffolding and pretty much ruined my back among other things. I couldn't do my regular job anymore so they had the locksmith start teaching me locks and hardware. I just kind of took to it like a duck to water.
About 16 years ago my 2 brothers and our brother in law went into the door business together. I used to travel and do jobs from Ct. to Virginia. When the factory guys couldn't figure it out - they called me. When the factory made a mistake on the Washington Redskins Stadium and couldn't figure out where - they called me in and I fixed it. It was great I got to travel all over and was very well respected. I wrote several articles and consulted on 3 books. There was a 2 part story in the locksmith magazine about my company and a door I helped develop. I loved every minute. There is nothing like doing something you really love doing. I hope I don't sound egotistical because I'm really not and I think that is what helped me along. I will admit though I loved showing up on the job in my blue jeans and beat up pos van - park next to the factory reps Mercedes - and solve what they couldn't. I always thought that was in poor taste for them to show up on a construction site wearing a Rolex and trying to blame the poor working guys for the lock problems. Any excuse they could find when the problem was really theirs. I loved proving them wrong and made some great friends with the construction workers. I really loved that they had to keep taking my s**t because they needed me. I know that's wrong but I just liked knocking them off their high horse and then billing them for it. LOL
Then about 5 years ago (after I had an accident that left me in a wheelchair for 3 years - I'm out now thank god and just need a cane and lots of vicodin

) my brother and I found out that the dumbest thing we ever did was let our other brother handle ALL the money. So 4 years ago my 1 brother and I lost everything and then some. Luckily we didn't go to jail when the IRS agents came knocking. Our brother in law bailed a few years before hand and our brother - well lets just say he bought a new boat last month. Funny thing is he is still my brother and I just can't stay mad at him over money. Does that make sense?
Believe it or not I am still actually pretty well known in the commercial door industry and locksmith community. But that is like saying I'm world famous in St Clair.

LOL
It's funny I bumped into another locksmith vaper on here and he knew who I was.
I was going to go on disability a few years back but one of my customers - actually the door company that did the redskins stadium - told me if I went out on my own they would give me enough work to keep me in business. I also have 5 or 6 other customers I have been dealing with for 15 years or more. I think I'm the luckiest unlucky guy in the world.
So there it is. If that doesn't help you sleep nothing will.