College Student, 24, Pays Off Grandparents' Mortgage by Saving Money Eating Microwave Pizza and.....

[redruddyred]

43. i've spent my 20s literally starving due to lack of medical care

and a lack of appropriate social services for what turned out to be a completely treatable medical condition (this is a bit more complicated than not having health insurance although that was a factor). i was lucky that i never had to be homeless but in order to avoid such had to endure some extremely abusive living situations; looking back I'm lucky i didn't go to jail for defending myself as many women do in this day and age.

i attended school on and off during this time and when i had time to study, and frequently when i didn't, would do very well. i stuck with it despite lack of resources because found my dayjob far too unchallenging. professors were mostly dicks about making exceptions for extenuating circumstances which is something many of my friends have also observed; the kids who work are hella discriminated against by the very structure of the courses which are emphatically not designed for them.

looking back i see all that time as a massive waste as i know i have better talents which i should be making use of but am not. i would say that i am optimistic about my ability to make changes in my life: things are a lot better than when i was 23 for example, but i am also realistic about how much things can budge. this hangs heavy on me and i find that i frequently lack motivation to complete tasks because i'm so inured to failure.

i'm surprised that you mention having supportive friends; i live in a kind of retirement community now so no one my age, but when there were i hated them all and made a concerted effort to avoid them. it might have been nice to have that kind of support but i just don't see people being able to work together in this way; the last job i had for any length of time had a serious and entirely avoidable bullying problem. atm i'm renting a house with an extra room and sometimes lend it out to couchsurfers who invariably have some dickish reaction to my rather simple accomodations. i figure one of the reasons rightwing groups keep winning elections is because there are so many pricks in the world.