Experiences of financial independence can be misleading, especially for those from wealthy backgrounds. An individual reflects on their college years, acknowledging that despite wanting to be self-sufficient, they still received financial help from their parents when moving to New York City. After struggling to afford rent and basic living expenses, they recognize that their early struggles are trivial compared to actual poverty faced by many. Their journey illustrates the hidden support that often accompanies stories of self-made success.
I was a proud young man who wanted to pay his own way. I didn't want to be beholden to my folks for the rest of my life.
I went apartment hunting in New York and whoa hey, turned out I wasn't quite my own man just yet. I wouldn't have been able to afford to live a supply closet in the Bronx without mom and dad kicking in a few hundred every month.
My wife and I would spend days ogling fancy restaurant menus because we couldn't afford to actually eat at them.
I reminisce over those days like we lived in a Frank McCourt memoir, which is laughable to any American who knows what being poor is REALLY like.
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