There are just some moments that people will not listen to the advice of anyone. There are just lessons that have to be learned the hard way, I suppose. It is a sad fact of life. The school of hard knocks can be and often is the most brutal way to learn. I do not wish it on anyone.
I come to this in the firm understanding of my experience. There was a period in my life of definite and sincere regret. For several years, I had to walk out the consequences of some poor choices. It was a time of lack and poverty for me. I was always broke. I had a huge list of needs that I could only fulfill some of on my own. There were times, that I had no clue where my next meal was coming from.
During this period, I had to do things I had never considered just to eat. I had to work very hard to afford things like the cash for a used tire for my beat up early 70's camaro. The few times I could afford to put a full tank of gas in the beast came from cash that was a gift of some sort or another. It was a hand to mouth existence. I hated every minute of it.
I learned humility during this period. I learned that there is never a job beneath anyone, least of all me. Pride, I learned, is a luxury you can only afford if you can pay your own bills. This time broke me in fundamental ways, that I cannot fully explain.
I learned that life, the world, and society owed me nothing. I learned that you earn pretty much what you are worth. If you have minimal skills, you get paid accordingly. I learned that a life, an existence is guaranteed to no one. I learned that the only way out of my poverty was to pick up some skills somehow. I needed to be worth more to the bottom line, if I was ever going to be able to have a normal life.
In my case, I left that life of poverty and lack and joined the Navy. It was a tough choice for me. I was a stubborn person. I was also willful at the same time. Joining the military was a risk for me. It could have gone very wrong for me. Thankfully, it went very well.
Something happened to me during that period that was good though. I learned a lot about life and about myself at the same time. I learned that good things only happen after the work gets done. I learned that only in disciplining myself could I ever hope for anything that approached a normal life. I learned that life happens, and you have to be able to deal with it on its terms.
I learned a lot during that period. Most of what I learned came the painful route. I learned that I too can clean a toilet with a toothbrush and somehow find a way to take pride in doing it, or find out what its like to do it all over again, after the command master chief uses it in a foul and disgusting fashion of course.
I sincerely do not suggest anyone follow my path. I suggest in the strongest of possible terms that if you have a choice between swallowing your pride and saying the words, 'I am sorry', and walking away, that you find a way to swallow. I suggest that you find a way to keep your mouth shut and value your existence. I suggest that you not go down my road.
Life is rough. It owes you nothing. It has the power to take everything from you. The hard path is not suggested for or to anyone.
I come to this in the firm understanding of my experience. There was a period in my life of definite and sincere regret. For several years, I had to walk out the consequences of some poor choices. It was a time of lack and poverty for me. I was always broke. I had a huge list of needs that I could only fulfill some of on my own. There were times, that I had no clue where my next meal was coming from.
During this period, I had to do things I had never considered just to eat. I had to work very hard to afford things like the cash for a used tire for my beat up early 70's camaro. The few times I could afford to put a full tank of gas in the beast came from cash that was a gift of some sort or another. It was a hand to mouth existence. I hated every minute of it.
I learned humility during this period. I learned that there is never a job beneath anyone, least of all me. Pride, I learned, is a luxury you can only afford if you can pay your own bills. This time broke me in fundamental ways, that I cannot fully explain.
I learned that life, the world, and society owed me nothing. I learned that you earn pretty much what you are worth. If you have minimal skills, you get paid accordingly. I learned that a life, an existence is guaranteed to no one. I learned that the only way out of my poverty was to pick up some skills somehow. I needed to be worth more to the bottom line, if I was ever going to be able to have a normal life.
In my case, I left that life of poverty and lack and joined the Navy. It was a tough choice for me. I was a stubborn person. I was also willful at the same time. Joining the military was a risk for me. It could have gone very wrong for me. Thankfully, it went very well.
Something happened to me during that period that was good though. I learned a lot about life and about myself at the same time. I learned that good things only happen after the work gets done. I learned that only in disciplining myself could I ever hope for anything that approached a normal life. I learned that life happens, and you have to be able to deal with it on its terms.
I learned a lot during that period. Most of what I learned came the painful route. I learned that I too can clean a toilet with a toothbrush and somehow find a way to take pride in doing it, or find out what its like to do it all over again, after the command master chief uses it in a foul and disgusting fashion of course.
I sincerely do not suggest anyone follow my path. I suggest in the strongest of possible terms that if you have a choice between swallowing your pride and saying the words, 'I am sorry', and walking away, that you find a way to swallow. I suggest that you find a way to keep your mouth shut and value your existence. I suggest that you not go down my road.
Life is rough. It owes you nothing. It has the power to take everything from you. The hard path is not suggested for or to anyone.