Whirlybird:
When I was wondering about spending a shedload of money to get my CPL, an old chap in his 70s, who hadn''t flown helicopters but had done most other things, said I should go for it, because "You never regret the things you've done, only those you haven't".
You know, there's probably a gazillion old codgers out there and ALL of them are full of advice. Meet enough of them and sooner or later one will say something pithy and clever, or he'll say something you want to hear. Then you'll latch onto that statement like a mantra, using it to justify everything you do from that point on.
Mine?
"Never complain,
Never explain."
-Henry Ford
Just live your lives, okay? If you want to fly, FLY! Don't agonize over it, don't wring your hands endlessly in worry, and don't go on obviously-biased helicopter message boards seeking reassurance and validation of your wacky, illogical dreams.
You think you're going to get an objective viewpoint here? The old-timers who say raise the realistic and sometimes very negative aspects of flying for a living are shouted down and contradicted by the enthusiastic wannabes (like both Whirly's but there are others) who, at the very start of their nascent careers- not all that far from day-one, deem it eminently worthwhile.
Just live your lives! No matter what you're doing in life, no matter where you are, enjoy it...make the best of it. And if you're *not* enjoying it, change it! Wake up each day feeling lucky to be alive. Dont' just walk through life on autopilot, make each and every day count. It takes effort, but in the long run that effort is worth it. Have fun! Laugh! Do not be the type of person who looks back with regret at things he/she might or might not have done. Do not even by the type of person who thinks he might look back and regret things. Screw that!
Life is too short. Way too short. I've done the commercial pilot thing for many, many years. I've spent too many Thanksgivings, Christmases, other holidays and just time in general away from my family. I've spent years in flying jobs that paid terribly, shortchanging my family in the selfish pursuit of *MY* dream (maybe hencloud is right!). I could, I suppose, look back on that with regret. But I will not. Right or wrong, I made those decisions and I will live with the consequences like an adult. I'm making things right now, and on my deathbed (which hopefully will not be soon) I will regret nothing.
And neither should you.