Anyone lived a life off the beaten path

[Juche]

Traveled and lived in various countries, lived in a commune, gone RVing, things like that?

If you do end up doing that, is it hard to break back into 9-5 society because employers fear you will not be reliable? How do you deal with that?

[vadawg]

1. lived a life on the road when i was younger, joined the army at 16,

this at least gave me a resume when i started looking for work in the civilian sector.

[knowbody0]

2. moved into the forest

no water, electricity or neighbors with my two baby sons age 1 and 3. It was a paradise and I missed nothing of the 9-5. we were at the base of Mt.St. Helens, and the eruption forced us out. the entire experience changed me forever and I never did return to the "normal" way of life. From then on, it's been on my terms as far as employment etc. Life should be an adventure, being tethered to a corporation is false security.

[old mark]

3. I usually tried to work for others only when necessary, and

usually not at anything corporate - After college and the Army I worked in construction for a while, drove trucks, learned drafting as I got older,eventually went back to college in my late 40's for social work. I retired at 59, on a small pension and some money put away, starting Social Security this coming fall at 62.
I am an artist, musician, published poet and writer, sell old stuff online for a few bucks occasionally, books etc.
Own a small old house, 2 cars, have been married for 16 years, have a lot of guitars, etc. I don't like to associate much with "corporate" type people and they don't seem to like me much either, so there is no love lost there.

You will pay a price for being "different" in America, but you are probably already paying a price just for thinking enough to post this question.
Also, you will pay a price for conforming in America, so you might as well please yourself as well as can be.

mark

[datasuspect]

5. i knew i liked you for a reason

now i know that reason

[datasuspect]

4. in my case, i became unemployable

i can't sit somewhere for 8 hours.

i work, make money, but i can never have a job.

our culture has a stinging punishment ethic for noncompliance.

it's ingrained into almost every facet of what society deems "normal."

people will start to wake up and question it, but then bills, kids, responsibilities interrupt.

if you stray too far from the conventional, it's sometimes a sin too egregious for them to forgive.

i haven't held a full time position in a major corporation since 2003. i've tried to make incursions here and there, but i'm all burned up. you cannot effectively explain a six year absence from the mill even with business checking statements, dba slips, whatnot to a HR generalist.