Why ?

People still ask me why I chose this way of earning a living. It's a loaded question that is their polite easy way of saying  " Ill advised career choice or what ?"
Not the smartest way of earning a decent living wage most of the time. No. Not unless you start your own business and locate well.
They are also thinking ' Why would an intelligent capable guy like that throw it all away as a bench hand ?'
He's a good looking chap, dresses and speaks well. Good family etc.
The answer for me and this is just me, can't speak for anyone else, lifestyle choice.
Skill up, find a partner and build a simple life in the country. Not prepper off grid hippy style. Just a simple country life.
And that's what we have done.
Could have done any number of things but I trusted my gut and squandered my potential doing what I want. Not what others expect.
My neighbour is the total opposite. In every 
concievable way. Career professional. Social climber, ego driven. High profile. 
He can afford lots of expensive toy's. Me, I had to scrounge, scour and hustle second hand. But I like doing it that way. 
Tool's and machinery are not flashy toy's to show off to friends. They are my bread and butter. I couldn't afford to take out big loans and operate multiple business ventures as tax avoiding, money laundering fronts. 
I wasn't prepared to hike up my trouser leg and get suspended from the lodge ceiling to grease the wheel's. 
What I lacked in capital I made up for with long term patience, long hours and good mentoring from far wiser men and women than me. 

Most people assign status based on money and toy's and post code. 
My neighbour is tormented. I am everything he pretends to be. But his money and toy's can't fill in for experience and skill.
Terry, my first foreman, was right. 
I was never afraid of working my way up from the bottom or living near the bottom.
Our old house is a run down shack but we made it cozy. Bit by bit. 
Every day a lesson learned, a new skill cultivated. 
It's actually what most men really want to do. Fix up an old bike in the shed, rebuild an old car. Make something with their own hands. Challenges make life more interesting. Easy money corrupts people badly. My daughter and boyfriend are doing it tough right now but I'm happy about that.