This thought experiment insinuates that not working in tech means infinite money or resources, which I realize is not the spirit of the question, but in the event that funding is of no consequence...

I would build sound systems. Huge ones, bigger than what's in my garage. Bone-shaking, yet clear as the pure blue sky

I would open a video store / computer lab / hangout for skaters, nerds and misfits

I would curate a library, with a point of view -- the most interesting ones are where the signal has been extricated from the noise and somebody wants you to see the world how they see the world

I would make a lot of things, physical and digital -- from 3D prints to woodworking to PCBs to strange websites and curious software

I would get a giant pizza oven and a huge cauldron and fuck around making pies and stews LOL

I would just do cool shit with my friends!

I basically do a lot of these things already in measured doses, in between begging, scraping, seeking, asking for, grabbing money; that whole pursuit is a great stick and carrot that keeps the human moving through life, but it's also kind of corrosive to the soul, and unavoidable if you want to participate in society.

Funny how when I re-read what I'm about to post (as a middle aged man), it sounds like the pipe dream of a 12 year old boy, some old loser who refuses to grow up lol

If i could start over again i would love to work as forester. I even considered working as lumberjack. I got required certificates, im legally allowed to work in the industry doing sawork (as in, felling trees, even if not private property).

I know it is an highly physical demanding and also very risky job. Now that a second child arives, obviously, life changing again, i just cant do it, i need to feed two kinds soon and these kind of jobs are not well payed.

So ill stick to doing my own firewood once a year, a couple of days outside in the woods and keep dreaming about it.

Live goes by too fast.

I'd go back to civil engineering. Building things. Good, honest work.

Binge watching Netflix and doom scrolling Insta-rcisst.

And once I had gotten over the anxiety and low self-esteem that I'd develop by engaging in these activities, probably become some kind of tech artist or simply be creativity for the sack of creating something.

No insta, no facebook, no twitter, more a reflection of what these technologies are doing to our "societies" or rather our "individualised groups of humans collectively doom-scrolling into global disaster of one kind or another".

I'm currently incubating a sick twisted fantasy to run a handbuilt bicycle wheelbuilding store. If you asked me this question 20 years ago, the answer would be music teacher.

I could have been an academic or an activist. My son reactivated in me the "making" aspect of experimental physics that had a big impact on me despite doing theory for my PhD. (My son builds buildings by day, guitars by night)

In the last two years I've become a semi-pro photographer. I guess I am also an "activist" now but approach it as personal change [1] instead of interpersonal conflict.

[1] a kind of global "daoism" that embraces all kinds of human development

I’d go into psychology research. I have some very low percentage chance mental health traits and there’s not many people studying what I have who have lived experience and are not too disabled to study it. I know I’d enjoy doing clinical work too, and often find my time not doing software is helping others and making community w those folks.

Sadly, I’m not wealthy enough to afford to reset like that, I’ll never be able to retire.

Physics, of course. Well, at least that is what I was doing before. If not that teaching. Math, physics, programming. I could teach any of that I guess

Really different questions with different answers.

If it were just for my own care-free leisure and benefit, I would probably go to school again and try some other academic path in math, physics or history. Or rekindle my CS study and do a phd - so many different interesting topics.

In the real world, as a parent with a huge mortgage? Pretty much anything. Janitorial work, insurance agent, landscaping, whatever.

I personally believe that life is better if you do what you are naturally good at versus something you're interested in. I was lucky that I am both good at and interested in tech.

The LSAT doesn't feel too difficult, especially the sections based around logical reasoning. So if I went back in time and tech somehow wasn't an option, law is probably where I'd be