Dean,
First, I'd like to comment about your "experience". Too many people look at others in the vain of "I wish I could do that", because some one elses lot looks better that ours. As I was growing up my dad (who was a great one for having a saying about any and everything) told me to be careful about what I asked for and "I felt sorry for myself because I had no shoes until I saw a man with no feet". I think you help the two "gentlemen" by pointing out that it's not as easy as it looks, even if it's going through a "normal" daily life.
I think that a lot of people go through the "where do I go from here" stage in they're life (some early, some later). Several years ago I went through a particularly bad year. My son went to prison for the third time, my mother pasted away, my divorce got filed by my ex. (twice, I could even do that one right), my youngest daughter cut her wrists. I took a little break (checked myself into the mental ward for a week). On my return to the "real " world, I went through the "where do I go from here". I sat down with a catalogue of classes from the local community center. I look for things I had never done before, and that I thought I might enjoy. I took a basket weaving class, a dance class, and a couple of others. The only thing I stuck with was the dancinig (Becky and I like to get out a dance whenever we can). The point is, try anything once. You might be surprised what to find that you like.
Cookieman