Definitely self made. I've been on my own since 19; worked my way through college and up from homelessness to the middle class. I'm not a howling financial success but I overcame having an unfit alcoholic mother who died when I was 15 and an absent father. Wouldn't you agree? By the way that picture is of me in Copenhagen on my two-and-a-half month trip throughout Scandinavia. I'm fully retired now.
This post was edited by CallMeIshmael at August 20, 2017 4:00 PM MDT
I remember a line from the movie The Professionals with Lee Marvin and Ralph Bellamy. Bellamy's character addresses Marvin's character with absolute disgust. Bellamy says, "You bastard." Marvin's character smirks and chuckles and replies: "Yes sir.---With me an accident of birth. (Pause) but you---are a self-made man."
I had to remake myself after a bad childhood. My mother taught me how to be a "bitch," so bastard is one of the alter egos in my repertoire.
We can't completely survive our families with being influenced in some way. I see that in myself, however, for the most part I separated myself from my fundamental upbringing which included settling, in my opinion, for less than I was willing.
