my mum insisted I learn the piano, after the fifth year of that i quit, now flat out playing god save the queen with one hand so no need to purchase brothel sneakers in later life.
Farm duties, pulling cows tits, picking up sticks, round and round dragging ploughs and dreaming of flying etc until after school then cut down many trees, logging, splitting posts to spend it all on learning to fly f/w. Headed further and further north and west. Ended up with a rather exiting job of running a large stock camp in the NT for Bryce killen of Airfast fame where i saw my first helicopter. that was it.
PHL in Adelaide with Buck Ryan in 1974, couldn't even afford a taxi fare off the plane home (I suspect buck's mentoring in drinking activities had a bit to do with that) a few years heli-mustering, then, CHL Long Beach late '79 only cost six grand but - say again the taxi bit as above - been low level and low on cash ever since.