Something to pipe about...

Education opens many doors. Start classes at community college.

My advice may be outdated given I haven't been in the beginning job market for 45 years. But, here it is: Imagine something you would love to do for work. Evaluate if your choice is realistic. For example, it will be hard for you to become a brain surgeon; not impossible, but hard, given your starting place. There are many, many other options that are more realistic.
Start at or near the bottom and work as hard as you can, be loyal to your employer, learn as much as you can. If you can't be loyal to your employer, find somewhere else to work or something else to do; nothing is worse than an non-loyal employee taking up space (and the employee doesn't benefit either).
Take every opportunity to move up, even if you are not confident you are ready; if they are willing to take a chance on you, you should be too. If you find you are not enjoying the work, try to find something else.
It really helps your life if you can enjoy your work. Take every opportunity to learn new things, about your work and in general.
Be humble; you in fact don't know it all or likely even most of it. That will come later.
Remember that nothing worthwhile is typically easy to obtain; much of life is hard work but it can yield great rewards.
Also, most rewards are not monetary - I mean you've already figured that out as a pipe smoker, right? Note also, making more money is usually not the starting place, you have to work up to that; develop marketable skills and a stellar work ethic.

Finally four rules that I postulated many years ago when I worked as a team leader of team leaders: When faced with a decision point of consequence, you have four choices:
1. I agree with the decision and can support it fully.
2. I don't fully agree with the decision but I can work on that and support it fully.
3. I don't agree with the decision and I can't support it, so I will resign and go elsewhere.
4. I don't agree with the decision and I can't support it, so I will do what I can to make it fail.

Three of those choices are of high integrity; one is not. The most important thing you bring to work (or your life) is your integrity. Making the right choice is often not easy but keeping your integrity intact is, in the end, rewarding.

That's all I got. Good Luck!

Look into financial aid. Theres no shame in getting help when you're trying to do better for yourself and your family.

As they say the first step is asking for help. Understand that it is a process and take it one day at a time. Nothing happens overnight. Set daily goals and work to achieve them. At the end of the day, look back to see what you could do better. Pray and ask to do better tomorrow. When you f-up, ask for forgiveness from who you wronged. 

Also, take the time to step back and pat yourself on the back for how far you have already come.

I worked odd jobs then several years working for an inventory service while in college. I got married and went to work in a unionized industry. They put me to work trained me at the same time. No limit on how fast I could advise. I was a Master Lithographer in 6 years and at the top of the trade.
I would go into refrigeration or electrician. Even better with an associates degree you could get in the medical technology repair industry.
Good luck.

Edit;
I should mention that I dropped out of college and got married because I was a company VP with a car and expense account. Don't work for family. As soon as I was married had a falling out and I was on the street.
Also, expect to be always learning. I have changed careers 3 times in my 58 years work. If you find you are in the wrong field, use that job to train for something else. In on case, a 500 year old trade was reinvented almost overnight. Next field did not pay enough, but allowed me to go to school for Netware Certification which became worthless because of Microsoft, but allowed me to get Microsoft certified while I was still working. Watch out for the next economic disruption.
The experience of most of us old guys is going to be of limited use to you as you are going into a very different world.

It's not for everyone but I've been a Union tradesman for 35 years. I joined the Operators when I was twenty. You might want to give the Laborers a call. They might be looking for guys especially if you're willing to travel. Who knows you might be able to buy a work permit and be making good money tomorrow afternoon. I'd just fib about the education if they ask. 

Yeah! Start your career by lying! That's the ticket! Lie your way up! Geez.

Some have no qualms with cheating and questionable ethics, but as someone who came up through hard-knocks, I can tell you that's not the way to go. It might make something easy in the short run, but you always have to live with being a crappy person for taking that road. If I've learned ONE THING through my many mistakes, poor choices, and hard-won life experience, it's that HONESTY is key. If you're always honest, no one can call you on anything. Hard work, honesty, personal responsibility, and doing the right thing may not bring the paycheck, but it'll sure help bring one you can be proud of.

I, like you, didn't go to college. I took some community classes, but school wasn't my thing. I worked at odd jobs during my late teens, early 20s. I started learning IT, and eventually found someone to hire me at the very bottom. I worked hard, learned as much as I could, and gradually gained responsibilities. I moved through a few companies, and learned what I could from them. Now, I'm in charge of my own data center, managing servers, services, and networks.

Like others have said, pick something you're interested in, start learning, find somewhere that will hire you, work hard, and keep moving.

Your still relatively young and by the Hiking thread, physically fit. Have you considered a career with the Fire Department? Think they now take a Community College prep course, but sounds like you may also be headed in that direction.

I worked many different forms of maintenance my entire life. 11 years ago I made a change at the age of 42. I got tired of plant shutdowns and getting laid off all the time so I enrolled in a trade school for HVAC/R. I got a job in the field while I was going to school and after a couple years returned and was an instructor. I went out on my own and have been repairing restaurant equipment since. If HVAC/R interests you it's a good trade to be in because people will always want to be comfortable at home or work and food will always need to be frozen or refrigerated. I live in a depressed area and everyone complains that there are not enough service techs for the amount of work available.

I've needed some good folks to talk to for a quite a while and ill have to say its not easy to reach out. I feel like itll be tough to gain anything without humbling myself and reaching out so there we are. I appreciate everyones feedback 100%.

As for what im good at / enjoy.. I honestly have no idea. I never had anyone to show me how to be a man, I was sort of raised by wolves if you will. So everything I know ive learned on my own. With the help of youtube Im beginning to be somewhat handy around the house. I dont have to call someone every time there's something stuck in the garbage disposal anymore. Haha. I figured out vehicles dont run on hopes and dreams the hard way so Ive learned basic maintenance on vehicles. Fluids, wipers, tires, brakes ..etc. I DO know that im not afraid of hard work , im a good listener and I learn fast when taught ( just dont pick up many things without being taught/shown ) . Im not good at faking it till I make it. With that lack of experience for me comes an extreme lack of confidence when it comes to approaching a jobsite somewhere and trying to get into a job i know literally less than nothing about.

That's true. So, you can definitely say you graduated. Do you have any interests?

Dave, you are known in the "circles" as a man of integrity so I think your comment was off the cuff and not really thought through as you usually do.

You might start by actually writing down the things you are good at...just to see where your thoughts are...if you can see it in front of you, it might give you a direction...just thinking about it, leaves a lot to forget and be brought to mind.

my father in law is a painter, by trade, and he has made quite the living for himself. It's hard work, and he's a perfectionist. If you're good at painting, that's a talent. I suck at it. A lot of people do.