15 - 21 I had at least one job, usually two, and was in school full time. School was an additional job. School was a ladder out of devastating poverty. School

15 - 21 I had at least one job, usually two, and was in school full time. School was an additional job. School was a ladder out of devastating poverty. School was an opportunity to not be used for my base physical labor. School was hope. It was not 'Pretty Pleasant'. Medieval peasants couldn't imagine modern dentistry either but I'm sure we have it good enough and can stop improving working conditions. Most Americans don't have saving to handle a one time emergency, much less free capital to fully retire. A leisurely retirement sounds like a realistic proposition for a lucky few.