This is my 501th post and it has only taken me three years to get here. I was sitting here reflecting on my life, I mean I'm turning a half a century old this year, I have finally come to terms with it, but also on where I've come as a person. I wrote a post exactly three years to the date and I shared with DU a story about a guy named Tom who was homeless and also a Vietnam vet who lived under a bridge and who was kind enough to let me share his space with him for a time when I too was homeless.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4239768Three years ago I started on DU because I was literally beginning to go crazy and I needed an outlet of like minded souls that shared with me their fights, and desires and interests and we rallied around one another as if our lives depended upon it. After awhile I became once again without a computer and surviving day to day. I had burned out badly on DU so I took up other interests, like getting my Series 6 license, scoring a damn good, decent job, began becoming independent on everyone and all credit companies and being strong within my soul. When you have been homeless and you understand the look of disgust that the rest of the world gives you, you begin to understand both sides of life.
Oh, I lived rich. I married into a rich family when I was younger, (he was a ski bum) and at 19 said yes to marriage, dumb I know, but I became a down hill slalom skier, bore two children with him and am still very close to him even though we have been divorced for almost 20 years. I have moved around and done damn near everything I have ever wanted. I moved from the Midwest to Southern Florida in my early 40's. I was all ready to see the world. But I wasn't prepared for what the world taught me. Finding myself homeless, friendless and without family after 5 years, I was able to became ingenious on how to survive and maintain and exist with very little and among people that never really understood me. No one really knows much about the depths of my life anymore besides my 2 adult children. But there is one thing that I do know. I know that it is a hell of a lot easier to learn how to be rich then it is learning how to be poor. I have a huge advantage now in life, and it may seem really selfish to actually say it out loud. But I am really going to enjoy watching the misery of people becoming poor knowing that I have already mastered it, and if I might add, am pretty damn good at it.
I listen all day to people calling telling me that they are losing thousands of dollars a day on the market. I am as nice as can be, my bonuses depends upon it :) but there is a huge part of me that has no sympathy. Because see if I would have had $50,000, and me being the dumb homeless person that the rich viewed me as, i would have invested in gold. i would have learned the stock market, like i have now and invested wisely. But i didn't have that chance. Excuse my no capitals on i's, the button is broke.
i guess what i'm saying is this. After surviving losing everything, becoming homeless before it was hip, shopping the dollar store before it got busy, for having insight to the future because my life depended upon it, i am now educated, and way farther then most people of my age. i feel good about the next 50 because god dammit, i'm prepared.
Just thought i would share my 501st post. Thanks for listening.