If you weren't in the roofing business............

I too started when I was 4, but that was in 1956. Been hard at it now for about 57 years, and I am starting to get tired. I am doing more consulting and evaluating now and though I still like to get up and shingle the roofs, I can't work all day anymore. 10 or 15 squares is enough for a day.

I would / will go into sales.

IDK.....dead? :(

A pro baseball player of course. :laugh: :laugh:

My Dad started the business when I was four('87). Talk about poor, that was us. Luckily he was stubborn enough to keep roofing through the hard times. My folks always pushed me to be smarter so I wouldn't have to work so hard. Then he taught me how to work hard, and tried to scare me from being a roofer, by hiring me at ages 14-17 in the summers. I liked the punishment and got paid better than my friends.

Luckily(or not), I started liking computers in high school. I got certified by Cisco at the age of 17. Didn't work for Dad after graduation. Got a good job and went to college. Helped start a network consulting firm and was doing okay, although I was sort of unhappy. I threatened to quit and the boss gave me a $3/hr raise. That kept me in to computer biz a while longer.

I finally quit and took a big pay cut to work for my Dad. Haven't ever regretted it even when working past noon during the dog days of summer. Luckily he's got a good name, able to raise his prices, and now I'm making a decent living. I'd like to think WE are working "smarter" like he always wanted.

Cliff notes: Computer networking consultant or similar

Extremely tough question for me.

Roofing is ALL that I have known since I was a young teenager.

I "begin" to think about that from time to time but because I can not come up with anything that would pay as much and have NO experience with anything else, I just forget about it.

:unsure:

That's sort of a tough question for me.

Probably an architect, as that's what I started out to be.

At this time, I would probably go full time at the gym, teaching classes all day long, personal classes, etc. I'd do pretty good.

but as I taught, I'd be dreaming of someday growing up to be a roofer !!!

I agree, a great question. Maybe it has been discussed before "How did you get into roofing" is another. That what I like to know.

I recently asked a young man how he became a Mechanic? Answer: My Dad was a deisel mechanic all his life and I loved helpng him but he turned me away from it and convinced me to follow carpentry instead and I did the VoTech and learned carpentry and learned a lot but didn't like it. I wanted motors to fix. What a happy camper this guy is with his trade.

I recently asked my friend/neighbor the same question. He is a contractor, home building, repair etc. This summer his vans BRAIN went on the fritz. Long story short he spent 6 weeks down. He filled the time by finishing furniture that he had collected from yard sales, along the road and an awesome wooden office chair from ages ago that he got from ME because I had the chits of the ratty thing. His refinishing work is incredible, obviously his passion. Presenting the question: In high school, was following several ideas not committed to anything and worked a partime job which introduced him into furniture cleaning and presentation for a second hand store. This is still his dream, to get out of the hard working stuff and now in his later years work in his workshop with wood. It will happen. PC BY ACCIDENT

This could even be a new Question of the Month!