What's It All About?

Ever since I was laid off, permanently, back in August of 2008 I've struggled with the available options for my employment. I was greatly discouraged when I found that many jobs required a college degree. That's not surprising but a lot of the time they didn't care whether or not the degree was in the field you were applying for. They just wanted you to have a sheepskin. One of the biggest surprises was when I applied as a delivery person for the Scooter Store. You know, the place that sells motorized wheel chairs. They turned me down because I did not have a degree. What the heck is that about? Another surprise came when I applied for a position in McDonalds management training. Actually I told them that at that point in time I would take any position they offered me. They very politely told me, in very politically correct language, that I was neither old or young enough to be considered. That's a pretty depressing thing to be told that McDonalds doesn't want you. It's pretty much assumed by everyone, I believe, that they can get a job at McDonalds.
Well, I'll quit rambling and get to the point. We're told all of our lives to find our passion and pursue it. I can't believe that it took this long for me to realize what my passion was. It was right in front of me the whole time. I don't think I ever pursued it because I felt like there wasn't any money in it. And when I did find out that a lot of people make a lot of money doing it I felt I was too old to take advantage of it. Now the problem is that I've narrowed it down to the exact part of my passion that excites me and I'm trapped in ways that will not allow me to pursue it. I've even tried thinking outside the box, begging for donations, and even looked for investors, but to no avail. What do you do when you finally realize what you want to do with your life and there doesn't seem to be any way to make it happen? What do you do when you're 52 years old with no money and retirement around the corner? What do you do when it seems like everything you've ever tried to do failed?
I apologize for airing my frustrations and worries, but it is my blog. And I know not many people will see it. If you're young and happen to stumble across this just remember this: GO TO SCHOOL AND GET A DEGREE! This will go down as one of my greatest regrets in life. I was and still am totally unprepared for what life hands us. I know that many people with degrees don't work in their field of knowledge, and many that do hate what they do, but it's something to fall back on. Even if it's delivering motorized wheel chairs. No one can predict where employment trends are heading and where you will work, but with a degree you stand a chance of doing something. Talent and ability won't always get you where you want to go. I found out the hard way. Unfortunately, I can live with failure but I think my wife and kids have put up with enough of it. Live your dreams but have a fall back plan. That's my 2 cents.