I'm happy to admit that somewhere in this multiverse of ours there is a Balix who became a pilot rather than an ATCO and is quite happy that he did. When I was a spotty faced oik though, it was at the time of Hamble closing and pilots having to spend a couple of years as trolly dollys as it was thought (wrongly, as it turned out) that there was a glut of pilots out there. Meanwhile, the CAA were recruiting ATCOs as if there was no tomorrow and here I am twenty years on.
However, Straightandlevel80t is being deliberately mischeivous in suggesting that all ATCOs are frustrated pilots. Back then we were given flight training to PPL standard but only a few kept their licences current in the subsequent years. One or two used it as a stepping stone to a commercial piloting career but many more never flew again.