Thread by @juvoni

All this is True & I'm very grateful.

At the same time, I see my parents experiencing ageism & trouble getting back into the work force. So I've become a dependency & primary source of their income.

I can only take so much risk, because I am their last line of defense.

They are still at least 5-10 yrs away from being eligible for social security.

Even then, early on the job injuries forced them to dip into 401k and borrow from a future that was already thin.

The power dynamics in the family due to this dependency have completely shifted, I'm no longer the just a son, I am THE SON who is a provider like a Husband, the Father to my brother as we didn't have a father to guide us.

Had to wise up quickly from a young age, was lonely.

When you're the safety net, you have to reshape your whole life to absorb the shocks of your family.

A lot of energy is exerted to reform/reshape resentment and passive aggressiveness.

I have a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

Raising money from the family was never an option.
They raise money from me, TO SURVIVE.

I wish I could play startup, but a stable income is necessary to prevent ruin.

The risks are much greater to come back from, takes decades.

The emotional exhaustion & tool from managing family problems is so great, there is little in the tank left to handle the imminent emotional toll of starting a company.

Now I'm in a position of having to coach my parents in starting a company of their own, because the economy is so slow/broken, while I work at a company, to provide them financial collateral.

I learned how to code on the fly, to make money to climb out of poverty.

I learned to love coding after the fact, & it's still something I don't want to do all the time, I have a lot more interests.

But I have to play life strategically, secure six-figures on low risk.

When your family sacrifices so much for you, you feel a sense of urgency to repay them so they can at least have some enjoyment and peace before they get too old.

Even tho, I have a job with great benefits. I can't even add my parents to my health insurance!

I missed out on a lot of great investment opportunities because I needed to allocate the cash to help pay my parent's rent.

We live apart because our relationship is better that way & will under no circumstances allow them to go homeless.

I have received "advice" before to just give up on them, as it was affecting my career progression.

First off I don't want a "career".

Second, off I WILL NEVER give up on my parents.

Our individualist society has gone to the excess of us pushing away our parents/elderly.

Don't shame people for taking "a job", people gotta eat.

I fully know wealth comes from equity & ownership.

The path to get there is a straight line for some and for others, it's a maze that may or may not even have a walkable path.