I think that is a common thread here - the wish that we had chosen something we would have loved to do. I note in some of the responses a bit of regret.

What prevented me from choosing that route to begin with? At 17 when I left home for university, my education just wasn't something for my choosing. Frankly I resented being thrust into academia. None of my education has figured into my life at all - especially not my work history. I am 50 years old and have yet to use the Quadratic Equation or Trigonometry. I have yet to draw out and map a molecule or count how many electrons revolve around an atom. Yet to differentiate an equation to determine the rate of flow of water out of a cone into a cylinder. Yet to calculate the acceleration of an object thrown in the air on a windy day.....