Comment by jriot | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jriot | Hacker News Reader

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I graduate high school in '03, turned 18 a month later followed by boot camp two months later. After boot camp, it was 1.5 years of air traffic control training. This involved 8 - 10 days 5 - 6 days a week in the military, knowing if I failed I would be washed out of the career-field, potentially kicked out of the military with no benefits. On a positive note, I wasn't in a combat role so that did alleviate some stress.

After I completed training and was comfortable as a controller I started using my benefits to complete school; went through two master's degrees using my benefits. Separated from the military while living in southern Turkey, accepting a role in a small town in Idaho as a data scientist. Wife and I landed in the states and a month later we drove our two children to a town we've never even visited to start a job I've never done. Five years later, I work from home as a data scientist.

Acknowledging the hard work and risks it took without a fall-back has made me much more conservative in my politics than I would be otherwise.

I'm glad it worked out for you, but contrary to popular perception the military is not an option for everybody.

That was not an easy journey. The resilience to see it all through is certainly admirable.

I can't see why that made you more conservative though.

Is it a sense of wanting to keep every ounce of legitimately hard earned wealth, that would be used to make life easier for others in the work force, when you never got any support ?

Or do you mean it in a sense, where you work your way through the system, feel that the system isn't that bad and that others can similarly work their way through it without needing any extra support ?

I hope it does not come off as confrontational. I am genuinely curious.

Probably when he said the risks he took without a fall back made him more focused and targeted. There was no room for liberties. So conservative approach that minimized risks was the way to go. .

I was raised and lived in fairly conservative areas - Alaska, Louisiana, North Carolina. Though as everyone does, I explored many areas of politics, attempting to formulate my own belief system; it is continuous work in progress never settling.

However, having lived and traveled throughout the world, from the US, Iceland, Ukraine, Turkey, Cyprus, Nepal and more I've learned that your own culture and people help you the most. The US is too big to systematically solve any problems at the federal level. Issues are best solved locally, at the community level.

I don't keep every ounce of wealth, we donate to our local church which gives to the homeless in our area. My wife gives her time to the church, helping families that are currently homeless. She aids in the school, volunteering in the classroom, functions, ensuring the children are receiving the attention they deserve. Local issues are what we are trying to progress. Areas we can see an impact - where our money, time, and effort are being used properly.

I do believe the system is set-up for people to succeed, but it isn't easy. Work, sacrifice, owning up to your mistakes and learning from them are what matters. I've never seen one person regardless of race, sex, or age be denied an opportunity they truly put 100% effort into. Does plan A always work? No, sometimes you have to accept plan C and make the best of it.

Hopefully, that provided a little insight. It is late here.

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