LogFAQs > #979942707

Sad_Face posted...

I think the bigger misconception, to the point of society's detriment (I honestly think this is intentional), is the focus on a singular effort to grow wealth as opposed to respecting that wealth is a team and generational effort. From your parents investing in your education and personal interests from young to financially supporting your business and helping you get your feet off the ground and get established, those are tried and true tactics. There's a book called Creativity by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, psychologist, who interviewed top people in their fields. Many echoed the same support from their family.

Definitely this.

My parents were firmly in the "boomer generation" but both worked their way from entry level jobs to higher-end supervisor roles. Mom went from a bank teller to the VP of the Consumer Lending Department of a bank. Dad went from a literal janitor to being the maintenance staffing supervisor of 5 Targets on Long Island.

We lived firmly in the middle class my whole life. Never wanted for anything, but never had anything considered "high end".

That being said... I completely recognize that I was awarded opportunities that others my age did not, and others my age were awarded opportunities that I wasn't. I went to Community College while many of my friends went away to private schools, and others didn't go to college at all. I got a hand me down car that was older than I was when I got my license, some of my friends got brand new cars, others had to save up to buy their own car, or didn't get one at all.

Now, at 46 years old and firmly in whatever is left of the middle class, I recognize that I wouldn't be in the spot I'm in now without my parents (and my In-Laws) help. But I also do apologize for being in the spot I'm in compared to others that are worse off than I am.