You keep bringing up the "mansion" thing. Whatever I have, or don't have, now; you should know this:
In 1993 I got out of the army completely broke, because I had been sending all my money to a woman, (like an idiot), and ended up homeless on the streets in L.A.
Unemployment was about 11%, I had debts, all of my possessions had been taken when the storage wasn't paid, so all I had was two civilian shirts, a pair of jeans, and some Class A's and BDU's in a duffle bag. My mother, back east, was in no position to help, and my father was in Hong Kong or something, and was long gone. I didn't bother trying to contact either one.
I slept under the porch of the West Hollywood community center, on top of my stuff to keep it from being stolen. I dug through the trash to get newspaper job ads, and walked however many miles to the ones that allowed you to just walk in without calling. I would throw my duffle in the dumpster behind the buildings, walk up and fill out an app and interview, and then go back and get my stuff and walk miles back to West Hollywood park. I found out where all of the programs for food were, mostly run by churches, and I never had to beg one time to eat. I made friends with the guy that ran the community pool, and he let me take showers in there and I used the bits of left over soap that people had left in the shower stalls.
I busted my ass all day, every day, with no phone, and no car, to get a job, and after 2.5 months, I did. Another 2 months later I was supervisor of my section of the call center, and I had moved into a crap weekly fleabag motel. From there I worked my way up, into the beginnings of internet billing, and by 2002, I had started my own company. No one lent me anything, or paid off anything for me, or bought me anything.
I know that I was still more privileged than most growing up, NOT from some kind of financial advantage from my parents, but rather being taught that no one who is not being physically forced is a victim. That you make your own way in the world, and though there is nothing wrong with choosing whatever level you wish to live, you should never blame someone else for your own choices, or think that they are not yours to make.
There were many other lessons they gave me, but the end result is that they gave me the mindset that there is no "they" that will hold me back, there is only myself and my choices. I have made choices that have caused me to lose money at times, and I would make them again, because they are part of my nature, but I'm not going to say "woe is me", or "boo hoo" that someone else has more.
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In 1993 I got out of the army completely broke, because I had been sending all my money to a woman, (like an idiot), and ended up homeless on the streets in L.A.
Unemployment was about 11%, I had debts, all of my possessions had been taken when the storage wasn't paid, so all I had was two civilian shirts, a pair of jeans, and some Class A's and BDU's in a duffle bag. My mother, back east, was in no position to help, and my father was in Hong Kong or something, and was long gone. I didn't bother trying to contact either one.
I slept under the porch of the West Hollywood community center, on top of my stuff to keep it from being stolen. I dug through the trash to get newspaper job ads, and walked however many miles to the ones that allowed you to just walk in without calling. I would throw my duffle in the dumpster behind the buildings, walk up and fill out an app and interview, and then go back and get my stuff and walk miles back to West Hollywood park. I found out where all of the programs for food were, mostly run by churches, and I never had to beg one time to eat. I made friends with the guy that ran the community pool, and he let me take showers in there and I used the bits of left over soap that people had left in the shower stalls.
I busted my ass all day, every day, with no phone, and no car, to get a job, and after 2.5 months, I did. Another 2 months later I was supervisor of my section of the call center, and I had moved into a crap weekly fleabag motel. From there I worked my way up, into the beginnings of internet billing, and by 2002, I had started my own company. No one lent me anything, or paid off anything for me, or bought me anything.
I know that I was still more privileged than most growing up, NOT from some kind of financial advantage from my parents, but rather being taught that no one who is not being physically forced is a victim. That you make your own way in the world, and though there is nothing wrong with choosing whatever level you wish to live, you should never blame someone else for your own choices, or think that they are not yours to make.
There were many other lessons they gave me, but the end result is that they gave me the mindset that there is no "they" that will hold me back, there is only myself and my choices. I have made choices that have caused me to lose money at times, and I would make them again, because they are part of my nature, but I'm not going to say "woe is me", or "boo hoo" that someone else has more.
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