At age fourteen in the mid-60’s, I was one of those kids. Athletic (barefoot water-skier), flying my uncle’s Cub solo (with permission), and teaching professors at the local college how to program their computer. Somehow I knew that I needed to choose a career in something that I was good at, but not an activity that I loved viscerally, like flying. So I chose to study computer science, in the same way that many of my cohort went into the military, their family business, or some other default option. Seventeen-year-old male brains are rarely wired to make wise choices, but it turned out okay for me; I never lost a job that I didn’t have another, better-paying one lined up within two weeks.
I’ve done pretty well. Not as well as some of my retired airline captain friends, but much better than the ones who are on their third divorce, and well enough to live quite comfortably and support my airplane and helicopter habit. We all read about the people who take their passion to great heights of success, but the vast majority of us do not.
My advice to younger versions of myself is, pick a career doing something that you enjoy doing, and will provide the time and stable resources to support the things that you are passionate about. The other way around is much harder in the long run.