Thanks CK-- for making my point.. I am proof that educational failures and poor home life are a handicap, but one that you can overcome.. if you want to.
i left home age 17-- with bruises around my neck, left by my mother as she made a sincere effort to throttle me to death.. (hey its old new, and I'm long over it.. )
my education still has deficiencies, and i still don't have the discipline i see in others who had-- what ever their other handicaps, parents who were able to provide emotionally for their children.
but starting at 18 (or in my case 17, when i was emancipated) its my problem. i can't blame my parents for ever.. at some point, i had to say, i want more.. and i had to go out and get it.
there are plenty of people who had it tough, tougher than me.. yeah, i started out behind many, since at 17 i was an emotional wreck.. but i didn't compound the problem by using drugs, or abdicating responsibility..
I didn't get to college till i was almost 40.. but i got there.. i didn't in may ways "grow up" till i was close to the same age.. i spent 20 years of my life undoing my childhood, and redoing my life to meet my needs.. lots of other people where spending those 20 years building careers, and i am 20 years behind the curve in some ways..
some people use a poor childhood as an excuse all their lives.. they never move on.. the rest of the horses might be back in the barn, and I'm still out on the track, just heading for the straight away.. but I'm in the race!
