I grew up in a "working-class poor" family, with lots of love and not much money.

I worked a variety of jobs, from stock boy to gas station attendant to police officer, from age 14 on. After graduating from high school, I went to directly to college, graduate school (M.A.), and law school, without taking any time off, primarily on student loans -- which took 7 years to pay off. Ouch. My family helped out a little where they could ($20.00 here and there), and I saved what money I could from wherever I was working at the time. However, my education was primarily financed by student loans.

And they all lived happily ever after.

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Thanks alot Vineuro, answering your d_mn post made stop and think about all the people I've forgot to thank along the way. One guy I owe more than anything, just published a business/leadership book called "The Five Insights of Enduring Leaders" after 10 years of case studies of successful businesses. This isn't a sales pitch, but he wrote a good book and least I owe him is to spread the word. Plus I think many of the successful business types here would find value in it.

Here's my "personal reflection" in response to your post. Thanks

http://www.xoutpost.com/lounge/31391-worth-look.html

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2005 ///M3 Competition / Interlagos Blue-Black /6spd/SS Race Exhaust/Angel Eyes/Passport HW/Mich. Super Sports Soles (love em)
2008 ///M3 Melb Red w/ Beige Novillo, Tech, Prem, & 19" (Retired)
2005 X5 4.4i Estoril/Grey Sport, Nav, DSP, Prem, Pano, etc. (Wifey's)
2007 335i Silver/Black SP,PP,CWP, Comfort access, & Sirius (Retired)
2001 X5 3.0i (Retired) Silver/Gray Sport w/19"/Prem/DSP/CWP
2002 YZF600R (Retired)

Thank you for the very moving stories.
My ulmost respect to all the selfmade people.

I didn't have to work for my education before and after. It was pretty nice. I am sure people made it through hardship are lot tougher than people who didn't.

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BMW The Ultimate Oil-Leaking Machines!

Vig- I won't bore you with the details, but my pops grew up during the Depression and was broke as a joke as a kid so he didn't think it was a god idea to let me have anything just cause I asked for it, and I did have to work my ass off to earn a buck. I got a paper route at 11, added landscaping and car detailing when I was 13, ran the drive-thru at Hardee's when I was 15, worked a 1200 degree grill at a steak and rib joint and loaded heavy ass things in a warehouse when I was 16- full time hours for crappy pay. Watched all my friends and classmates work 10 or fewer hours per week and get nicer cars than I had, just because they got good grades or something. I couldn't trade a good grade for cash with my pops cause it was expected that I perform to standard and bring home straight A's. Got bitter about that. Was heading for becoming a career criminal when I was 18 while trying to get myself an apartment and a few pieces of good ass but managed to turn away at the last moment to go to college. ROTC paid for my first two years, I left to join the Army and finished after I left active duty and the GI Bill paid for it. If my dad hadn't been tough on me I'd have never made it through some of the shit I saw in Uncle Sam's service. I had four jobs at once early in my present career pulling 35 daytime hours a week in DC then 30 weeknight hours in Baltimore and weekends in Philly and NYC. I put some miles on my cars and racked up some Amtrak points in those days, but I wouldn't be where I am now (working less than 35 hours a week, getting paid a lot more than I did when I worked 100+ per week), if I hadn't pulled some long hours and done some hard work.

I'm sure Juan and Don will agree with me- any day is a cake walk when I'm not running around in the sand and getting shot at!

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JV

What gets us into trouble is not what we don't know...it's what we know for sure that just ain't so

just to make the thread complete this must be added:

I had to walk to school in the winter, through 3 feet of snow, uphill, BOTH ways



carry on.

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You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

Grew up in Detroit, middle to sometimes less than middle class, in
the 50s; we never starved but we weren't silver spooning it.

My M & D were frugal and tough and demanded good grades from
my sister and I. I was a smart jerk, but a jerk for most of my first
15+ years. I broke their hearts a few times, barely avoiding "juvie",
the juvenile home for young offenders. Outta HS in '65, off to the U,
where M&D paid tuition; room&board and the rest were on my nickel.

Married in summer after soph year, (now there is a life changing miscalculated
circumstance), out pops my Daughter, (now pushing 40!), stayed in school
with the usual stupid azz jobs to make ends meet. Soon, a Son, (heading on
37 this month!), graduated, went to grad school for a year, ran outta
dough and enthusiasm. Taught HS English for a year in Detroit, and then
went off to a sales career. Transferred to a corp office in NYC in 1975
and never looked back.

Spent 25+ years humping products used in the printing process, for only
2 companies, (or their iterations), worked very hard, climbed the ladder
to VP of Sales & Mkting for a worldwide mfg'er, worked harder, spending
200 nights/yr on the road for 15 years, made a lot of dough, got lucky
and bailed out 7 yrs ago at 53.

Even if I could, I would not change one thing of any significance,
looking back.

My 25Cts is up.
GL to you Vig: you have the whole world in front of you.
BR,mD
back.

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Ol'UncleMotor
From the Home Base of Pro Bono Punditry
and 50 Cent Opins...

Our Mtn Scenes, Car Pics, and Road Trip Pics on Flickr:
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/45275375@N00/

My X Page

at least you weren't barefoot! LOL

not to rag on anybody but most seem to be missing the point. If you have to work paycheck to paycheck, take out loans, you got it all wrong and that's just not very smart. It's all about making your pretax dollars work for you, and leveraging what you make as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Yes i paid entirely my way through school without borrowing any money. I still work very hard - 60-70 hr weeks.. but it's how i invest, leverage and work with that money afterward that gets me to financial independence very quickly.

It's always interesting to see this sort of thing. Many look at those who are successful, and assume (out of jealousy, I think) that the success was easy; handed out like candy. I doubt that is true for very many of us. I was cutting grass for neighbors at age 8. Even now, I work 80+ hours per week, plus volunteer work, plus family, etc. That is just how those who are successful get that way. We don't know how to do anything but work hard at everything we do.

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