What Demographic do You and Your Friends Fall into?

[ShokWaveRider]

I thought this may be interesting, from an ER perspective, where we all fall regarding general demographics, and where one's friends fall, not including family.

I was an Engineer and was pretty much hands on for over 35 years, not sure if that makes me a Blue or White Collar individual. My education Level is Masters in Engineering.

What I can say is most of our friends that we associate with now were professionals prior to ER. Here is a little cross section of some them. We have a pretty small circle of friends that we socialize with on a regular basis. Most are direct neighbors or live very close by and could be a result of where we live rather than any planning. We have lived where we do for quite a long time.

Furniture Business Owner - Sold up to ER
CNN Anchor - Retired Early
Probate Judge - Retired Early
Specialist Doctor - Still works part time
Company CEO - Sold up and ER'd
Sales VP - Retired Early
Company President - Retired Early
5 Star General - Retired Early - Spoke at the 2016 DNC Convention
GP - Retired Early
Bankruptcy Lawyer - Partially Retired, Work Occasionally
Vascular Surgeon - Retired Early
HR Director - Retired Early
Property Developer - Retired Early but still Dabbles
Nurse - Retired Early
University Professor - Retired Early but Still Writes Papers

 

[travelover]

My best friends are Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffet. I don't like to hang with riff-raff.

 

[RobbieB]

I was an engineer in field support and set up. Yup, engineers as friends and one pharmacist.

 

[Amethyst]

There have not been many 5-star generals. I wonder what qualifies as 'retired early' for them? I am not sure that, at that level, they ever really retire

5 Star General - Retired Early - Spoke at the 2016 DNC Convention

 

[braumeister]

There have not been many 5-star generals. I wonder what qualifies as 'retired early' for them? I am not sure that, at that level, they ever really retire

Yes, that's rather ludicrous. I assume he meant John Allen, who was a 4-star general and retired from the USMC after only 37 years active duty.

 

[harley]

My best friends are Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffet. I don't like to hang with riff-raff.

You mean the lumpen proletariat?

There have not been many 5-star generals. I wonder what qualifies as 'retired early' for them? I am not sure that, at that level, they ever really retire

I suspect that means they were "small f" fired. Otherwise they stay in until they die.

Edit: According to Wikipedia -

U.S. officers holding five-star rank never retire; they draw full active duty pay for life. The five-star ranks were retired in 1981 on the death of General of the Army Omar Bradley.

 

[CardsFan]

I have a BS degree in Engineering, and retired as a Project Manager. DW has a degree in Education and was a teacher and real estate agent.

Our closest friends, all retired, go back to DW's schooldays (elementary and HS). The men were in the trades, one woman was a respiratory therapist, the other ladies do not have degree's and have worked in a variety of positions.

If you widen the circle, and also include the kids of the above that we also call friends, there are more that were professionals, but not the majority.

We are very happy with our circle of friends.

 

[Ronstar]

Most of our friends worked in the nuclear power industry (management, engineering, operations, support) and most are now retired.
And a few retired teachers and construction workers. And a retired and rehired Caterpillar Tractor manager.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Yes, that's rather ludicrous. I assume he meant John Allen, who was a 4-star general and retired from the USMC after only 37 years active duty.

Not John Allen, I could be incorrect about the number of stars though. He was president of our HOA, we do not talk about his career much.

 

[Ronstar]

I vaguely remember reading that current generals in the US only go up 4 star. The US allowed 5 star during WWII to match ranks of the allies.

 

[Amethyst]

https://www.thegeneral.com/ This 5-star goes around selling car insurance

Not John Allen, I could be incorrect about the number of stars though. He was president of our HOA, we do not talk about his career much.

 

[Nemo2]

I have very few friends, and none of them like me.

 

[FIREd]

I hang out with people from different backgrounds - secretary, handyman, CEO, VP, nanny, plumber, carpenter, mailman, CPA, farmer, engineer, scientist, etc... Some are retired, some not. But none of them are early retirees. Most people here retire as soon as they qualify for retirement benefits, which can be as early as age 60. But they would not voluntarily quit a job before then.

 

[Teacher Terry]

When I was married to my ex most of our friends were blue collar mainly because the town we lived in mostly was. Now in Nevada both my husband and I are professionals and so are most but not all of our friends. All of them were great smart people so don’t think it matters.

 

[aja8888]

I have an engineering degree and an MBA in finance. My friends are mostly my ROMEO group of guys: (these are all retired guys)

CEO of a major oil services firm
Insurance salesman
VP of HR at a large oil company
Owner of a concrete company
Civil engineer
Coast Guard retiree and engineer
Owner of 6 Burger King franchises
Real estate broker
Postal worker
Business development professional of a sports franchise
IT manager of a software company

Bottom line is we are now all old farts just hanging on...

 

[FlaGator]

Wow, I haven't done nearly as well as OP....

Retired operations manager with an MBA. Never bothered to do much networking in the industry. Didn't suffer professionally then, and glad I'm not feeling compelled to keep up with anyone now. Living in an area where many people have put their careers behind them and don't feel compelled to "be" anything but relaxed. Far more talk about fishing, the beach, and the inconvenience of tourists during the season than how anyone got here.

Attendees at recent holiday parties I was invited to included:
-retired Army medivac pilot
-retired AF Chief MSgt and his retired AF Msgt wife
-retired health care entrepreneur (host of one party and 40 year friend)
-a couple of real estate agents
-pharmacist
-retired exec for a major oil company
-retired Army Lt. Col.
-retired Army Special Forces Sergeant
-a couple of contractors providing various services to local AFBs
-a bunch of people doing what they can to raise their kids in a nice place (although nearly 60, child raising is my primary "demographic" )

 

[youbet]

See my signature line.

DW and I both grew up in economically disadvantaged situations in inner city Chicago and attended Chicago Pubic Schools (and have lived to tell the tale). I did mostly factory work all my life, much on night shift. Sometimes union, sometimes not. DW worked on an assembly line and later was a school teacher. Our friends have callused hands and kind hearts.

 

[HFWR]

“And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen...”

 

[youbet]

“And all my friends turned out to be insurance salesmen...”

Thank you John Prine. (Who, BTW, was a blue collar guy from suburban Chicago, Maywood, my contemporary and whose family was involved in the same industry I was for many years.)

 

[ugeauxgirl]

I'm pretty young so none of my friends are retired. My friends are pretty diverse

A Walmart store manager (she's single)

a pediatrician with a stay at home husband ( actually he drives a school bus for the insurance)

an office worker at a local business- her husband has a business installing swimming pools.

A teacher and her husband who has a timber business.

A teacher and her husband who manages technology for a school district.

A yoga instructor

A nurse.

A legal secretary who works for her husband, an attorney.

A teacher married to the manager of a local utility office.

An engineer who is a plant manager and his wife who works at a university in the ROTC office

A bridge inspector (I think he's an engineer) and his stay at home wife

I have interesting parties!

 

[Bir48die]

I hang out with most anyone who will buy me a free drink. Or for that matter just drink with me.

 

[CardsFan]

I hang out with most anyone who will buy me a free drink. Or for that matter just drink with me.

+1

 

[MarieIG]

I Got Friends in Low Places . . .

 

[street]

I know a lot of ER people and a lot of them are millionaires. I don't hang out with many of them much. I prefer to hanging out with people in low places more.

Engineer
CEO's
Business/Owners
Ranch/Framers
Gov Employee's
Electrical Careers

 

[Teacher Terry]

My ex had a master’s degree in math and physics and preferred to be a tool and dye maker. I had 3 kids and then got 3 graduate degrees. We all put our pants on the same way)