In 2008, my dad was a shipping clerk for an ATM repair company. He lost his job to a younger, fitter, better English-speaking immigrant that would work for less

In 2008, my dad was a shipping clerk for an ATM repair company. He lost his job to a younger, fitter, better English-speaking immigrant that would work for less money in 2010. It broke his spirit but he remade himself in the months after by getting into fitness and somehow is better off today than he was then because he had to find that hunger again. He is also a recovering alcoholic, sober for over 20 years. Proud of him for not using that an excuse to start drinking again. A lot of men would have. I dropped out of community college and got laid off from Starbucks in Dec 2009. I spent 2010 smoking weed, eating acid, going hiking, chasing girls, and trying to 'save the world'. I was 20, don't judge too harshly. I decided then what I wanted to do with my life, to avoid self-worth shattering ridicule from a community I respect I'll save that for my 'show HN' moment. The last 7 years of my life have been an uphill struggle to get work experience, master basic life skills, understand subtle dynamics of relationships, and now not accepting failure as an outcome. I've learned to refine my initial concepts and business plans into mathematical proofs supported by a scientific paper (writing now). I've always been into Buddhism and Stoicism, they resonated with me at 20 and still do today at 27. If you're still wanting to try one more time, I'd suggest starting there and giving college/startup/? another try. There is still time to finish what you started.