Proud To Be Who I Am

In 1947, my mother gave birth to me in Raleigh, NC, so, I am considered an authentic TARHEEL...  as well as an authentic SOUTHERNER...

From 1969 through 1974, I was in the US Navy so I am considered to be an authentic VETERAN of the Vietnam War...  and, the GI Bill paid for my college education including graduate school, all but $500...

From 1968 through 2015, I worked in the US Marketplace in a variety of positions in the southern part of the USA for 47 years...  and, for another 5 years, I taught evening business classes to students attending a university in Knoxville.  I taught not because I needed the money but because I really enjoyed teaching.

In 2015, my second wife and I retired.  I was 67 and she was 62 and we both had both good and bad experiences during our working careers down here in the southern part of the USA.

From 1990 until 2015, I was Owner/President of Quest Training, Inc., a sub chapter S corp that focused on industrial training, specifically quality management, ISO9000/2000 standards, process improvement, statistical problem solving, strategic planning, and project management.  As a sub chapter S corp, I was allowed to flow my personal/family income through the company which reduced our tax burden substantially each year, even after paying CPA fees.

I earned a BA and an MBA and could have relocated to the north where I could have received a large salary commensurate with my education, but I decided not to do this because I did not want to experience all the BS that is prevelent in the northern part of our country...  not to mention that is much colder up north than it is down south.  Lots of people, lots of vehicles, lots of time standing in lines or waiting in traffic jams or accidents, lots of crime and violence, and just a personality attitude around which I had no desire to be.

Consequently, my income was never that much, forcing me to save more than I would have anticipated for my retirement.  As a result of all that saving, I have more than enough money to pay our expenses for the next 20-30 years, knowing I will not live much more than 20 years, if that long.

My quality of life is frugal and I am living just as well off as I was when I was working...  which I consider to be an accomplishment.

I cannot imagine living anywhere else.