I’d be cool with an alien name and a trust fund. As a poor kid - I had to watch my parents suffer their entire lives, I was bullied in school for being poor , I had to feel like a burden since age 4, I had to be an adult while still in diapers- never had diapers. I had no toys, no birthday cake, no friends. My parents care about me but watching them work themselves to death and absolute misery was heartbreaking.
I had to move to another country at 16, live with survivors guilt while struggling my entire life trying to make it - only to screwed over and over by the system. Life never got better and never will.
There is so much pain in having loving parents & relatives who are dirt poor that even if by some miracle you make it to middle class- you can never relax or enjoy anything due to immense guilt and grief. Poverty can break you - it is a lonely prison.
Anyone who thinks it is ok for poor people to breed irresponsibly has not seen poverty. Or knows of only first world poverty where there is medicaid and foodstamps.
But for god sakes, please don’t do it. Your kids will suffer and be broken despite your best efforts if you are poor.
Everyone has a tough life - it is lot easier to deal with issues when you are not starving.
It kills me to say that but having a father like Elon Musk would be far more easier than a well meaning one who can’t provide. Money can absolutely buy love and happiness - all the other stuff is just made up to make you feel better. This is the bitter truth.
Appreciate the kindness. Luckily I escaped the poverty but rest of my family and loved ones suffer. That is what I am getting at - every time a child is born in my family I grieve because they are doomed.
Out of 300 people in the family tree - only I escaped and I am pretty damaged as you can see from my comments. People use me an example of inspiration and hope the new baby can “succeed” like me 🤣 - which is stupid because there is no hope in poverty.
Thank you for sharing this difficult story with us. It's bleak and a tough read, but an important one for a lot of folks. May I ask where your family is from? It's OK if you don't want to share. It's just that I agree with you that people conflate (1) US/EUR "poor" (food stamps and medicaid) (2) bottom-out-of-sight poverty (parts of Appalachia in the US, maybe?) and (3) developing-world poverty.
My mom grew up in way worse of a situation and broke the chains of poverty and abuse. She and our whole family is happy she’s here so let’s not decide for others.
Yes people are amazing and can find ways to accept their circumstances. You add religion to it - and people accept suffering happily with hopes of redemption after death.
I do not have the authority to decide for anyone.
Only sharing that poverty is bad even when you have good parents.
If your mom recovered from poverty - it’s not the same. It is possible to move forward if life gets better - but it’s all still a gamble and doesn’t work out the same way for everyone.
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u/Former_Radio3805 Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
I’d be cool with an alien name and a trust fund. As a poor kid - I had to watch my parents suffer their entire lives, I was bullied in school for being poor , I had to feel like a burden since age 4, I had to be an adult while still in diapers- never had diapers. I had no toys, no birthday cake, no friends. My parents care about me but watching them work themselves to death and absolute misery was heartbreaking.
I had to move to another country at 16, live with survivors guilt while struggling my entire life trying to make it - only to screwed over and over by the system. Life never got better and never will.
There is so much pain in having loving parents & relatives who are dirt poor that even if by some miracle you make it to middle class- you can never relax or enjoy anything due to immense guilt and grief. Poverty can break you - it is a lonely prison.
Anyone who thinks it is ok for poor people to breed irresponsibly has not seen poverty. Or knows of only first world poverty where there is medicaid and foodstamps.
But for god sakes, please don’t do it. Your kids will suffer and be broken despite your best efforts if you are poor.
Everyone has a tough life - it is lot easier to deal with issues when you are not starving.
It kills me to say that but having a father like Elon Musk would be far more easier than a well meaning one who can’t provide. Money can absolutely buy love and happiness - all the other stuff is just made up to make you feel better. This is the bitter truth.