I M Not Whining Im Stating Facts

I have had a really difficult time in life, and I've always been afraid to voice it for fear of seeming like a whiny baby. But I vent on SW so here goes anyway.

I grew up with the odds stacked against me. I came from a poor broken home full of domestic violence, drugs, and toxic parenting. I was determined to not let the situation I was born into determine the rest of my life. So I moved out at 18 and tried for years to elevate myself out of my circumstances with education, networking, and various job endeavors, but every single time I would get a little ahead, something beyond my control would shatter everything and I would be left holding the pieces and having to start all over.

I'm 39 and once again, my life is at rock bottom and I am facing the harsh reality of starting over completely from the bottom. I'm so fucking sick of it. I just want to start being my own boss instead of being a dancing monkey for some corporation who sees me as disposable. I have no idea what to do.

drymer · 56-60, M

I feel your pain. Often we need to reach rock bottom to be able to start fresh. I worked full-time office jobs for 25 years, then I was laid off at 48 and it was really hard to get a job, so I had no choice but to become self-employed... That was five years ago, it was a very stressful transition but things have settled and I've been working from home, flexible hours and I'm still able to pay my bills (knock on wood...), so things worked out eventually (so it seems).