A Reality Check: The Path to Security Is Paved with Hard Work, Not Degrees

Young one, I know how you are feeling. I most likely felt like you do right now. You say, The American Dream is Dead. No, I say it’s not Dead. But it has changed and you gotta work your butt off to get what you want. Working a ton of hours. And you got to learn to Bite Your Tongue or you’ll say stupid things that will bite you in your Ass. Nut don’t let others leech off your Retirement plans by allowing You to Pay their way while they only Video Game or never learned what the Hard Knocks of Life will teach you. Learn them early. In a short paper, I cannot get you to where you need to be. You have to do that for yourself. But study Jobs and Companies that last a lifetime and longer.

I’m 71 and today, It is my birthday. Today, reset your Clock and finish your life on the best possible Notes. Start a Journal to yourself. Ask everyday-

Am I fulfilling my Life the best way possible? With A Family comes responsibility. A wife and kids aren’t C H E A P. It was never meant for both spouses to work. But many must. Keep your judgements to yourself. But I wish you the Best and May God Bless you. I want you to make it. I honestly do.

What’s coming? I wrote pages and asked AI to Fix it up better-

Your pages reveal a powerful reflection, and I appreciate you sharing your life experience and your very specific, hard-won wisdom. You are proposing a practical, grounded, and time-tested philosophy for young people facing today’s challenges.

The paper you’re directing me to write will be a candid, no-nonsense guide, blending your personal story with actionable advice. It will be a call to action based on the principle that a solid, secure life is built through effort, tough choices, and strategic thinking, not by waiting for a perfect career.

Here is that paper, written hipefully to resonate with young people based on your principles for a life of Longevity and Security.

A Reality Check: The Path to Security Is Paved with Hard Work, Not Degrees

We’ve all heard the narrative: The American Dream is dead. The game is rigged. Everything is too expensive, and your college degree is a piece of paper that only proves you can read. You’re being told to feel hopeless. Add College Debt and you will feel Hopeless. But please don’t feel that way.

But what if the problem isn’t the game? What if it’s the advice?

This isn’t a motivational speech; this is a blueprint for building a secure life—a life where you have a home, raise a family, and, most importantly, retire comfortably. This plan is based on a reality learned the hard way by those who came from nothing, where a pair of jeans had to last three years and hotdogs and bologna sandwiches and pinto beans were a staple. It works because it prioritizes security and longevity over fleeting passion.

Step 1: The Foundation of Discipline and Opportunity

Forget the idea that you have to love your first job. The goal of the first decade out of high school is to acquire two things: discipline and a strategic advantage. I did not like most of my Jobs and some I HATED. I hated being a Texas Prison Guard. The one thing that helped me was that I treated the Offenders decently. People won’t Hire you as a Older Person, but I Had a Family and It was the only full-time Job I was offered in two years of searching and taking only part time jobs. A time I could have given up, but my family meant the World to me. Still do.

Your Blueprint	Time-Tested Examples
Embrace the Military Path	Go into the Service right out of High School. You’ll instantly solve the problems of shelter, clothing, and food. More importantly, you’ll learn discipline—the most critical skill for a successful life—and earn a path to college (the GI Bill) without debt.
Prioritize Hard-Earned Skills	Your future boss will care more about your ability to show up, work hard, and follow directions than the title on ANY Degree. Be willing to do the physical labor and the long hours necessary to establish a work history. Just suck it up and Do the Work.
Acknowledge the Degree Reality	Accept this truth: Many successful people never worked in a job that directly used their college degree. The degree teaches you how to learn; it does not guarantee a paycheck. Your degree is a tool, not a ticket. I Hated College but went after the Military to appease my Grandparents who only had a 2nd and 3rd Grade education between the two.

Step 2: The Longevity Job (Swallow Your Fear)

A life of security is built on a reliable, long-term paycheck and a guaranteed retirement. You must swallow your fear and go after the jobs that offer longevity and a pension, even if you dislike the work. Even if you Hate the Work, but tell no one you dislike or Hate it.

Strategic Job Targets	Why They Work
Prisons or Corrections	High need, high security, excellent government benefits, and a clear path to retirement after years of service. People will always be needed in this field.
Power Plants/Utilities	Critical infrastructure jobs. High pay, unionization, and long-term stability. They can’t be outsourced, and the lights must always stay on.
Teaching/Public Service	Consistent employment, excellent benefits, and a pension system. The work is hard, but the stability is invaluable for family planning and retirement. I taught Part time For two years while looking for a full time job and I liked it but they do overuse people.
Essential Trades	Plumbing, electrical, HVAC. These jobs are always in demand, pay well, and cannot be replaced by AI. They require hard work and physical labor.

The key is the Retirement package. That monthly check, combined with your future Social Security payments, is what allows you to live comfortably when your working days are done. Doesn’t provide money for Vacations and such, but you’ll live okay. You can live out a Retirement.

Step 3: Strategic Living and Personal Pride

Your work ethic and financial discipline are the true measures of your success.

Be a Rock, Not a Sieve: Keep your disappointments and struggles to yourself. Keep them guessing. Stop telling people all about yourself. Once they know everything, you’ll seem a very dull person. Focus on results, not complaints. Leave the alcohol, drugs, and smoking to the people who aren’t serious about building a future. That stuff is an anchor that will sink you.
The Multi-Family Home Strategy: Read and understand the financial necessity of a multi-family home. Getting a mortgage on a duplex or triplex allows you to live in one unit while your tenants pay the mortgage with the rent from the others. This is a powerful, time-tested strategy for building wealth.
Find Your Focus: Don’t be a “World Worrier.” Deal only with what you can directly influence. Stop consuming media that makes you anxious and focus that energy on your job, your family, and your savings.
Embrace the Game: Be proud you are here. God put you in this game, so enjoy it and work hard at the things that matter. Marriage is work, and if things go wrong (like an extramarital affair), you work through it. The commitment is what truly matters. With all my Heart, I believe there is Life after Death. God loves us all. Walk away from those who are Atheists.

This is the anti-fragile path to a good life. It demands hard work, discipline, and the maturity to forgo short-term happiness for long-term security. The jobs are out there; you just have to be serious enough to take them. Leave extra marital affairs alone to Fools. Live within your Means and don’t chase the same as your neighbors have. Enjoy the simple things like just going outside and sit and Talk with God. He’s with you always.

Here are my latest books full of Hope for you-