2 paths followed, same destination reached.

I left school quite young, without finishing. Outrageous you may think?
Meh... I hold a managerial role in IT support within a company in the top 20 of the FTSE 100. I applied myself 5x as hard since leaving school and my job is earned.
If I had applied myself in school I would probably be in a different profession. Architect, Pilot or maybe even Doctor... I jest, nobody from my school went on to be any of those things. Although one of the guys from my form is known as a chemist??

I was told at the age of 15 by my dead-beat uncle, "You need to go to school every day, you don't want to turn out like me!!"
But back then, I kind of did... I mean, who in their right mind wants to work 40 hours a week?
He was unemployed, living off the state, and drunk every waking hour.
At 15 that seemed awesome!! So I didn't listen, and continued to bunk off.

Now thankfully I'm one of the rare cases in life where life just falls into place. I now have a pain in the neck wife, and 3, 4 and 14. A decent job with prospects and I only have to survive life until Easter next year for me to beat Jesus at living!!!

All in all a sweet life... Only there's this overwhelming hypocritical tirade that flows from me on a regular basis.
I constantly tell my kids that school is important, that with hindsight I wish I attended more. Wished I'd learned some proper subjects.

Who'd of thought, after all these years of sorting myself out, and being an outstanding member of the community, a family man... I am dishing out the same advise as a dead-beat drunk?