I couldnt disagree with Bugs and Perry more. Stability is not overated it is underated. While I’m sure you both came out fine I have seen what stability can create and it is far beyond what you have achieved.
I grew up in a sanitized suburbia very much like where I live in North County. Our parents were successful but not anywhere near the level my generation has been. My best friends are guys I have known since I could walk. In fact they all lived within a block of my house and most were no farther than 4 or 5 houses away. A few moved away either across town or out of town and none of them stayed part of the group. If not for the rain, I’d be out golfing with a friend I’ve know since I was about 1 year old. To this day, I still talk with many of these friends every month. When I was about to get married, I was taken out for The Lunch, a dreaded 3 hour grilling by the gang. The Lunch was responsible for 2 cancelled weddings. Out of more than 2 dozen of us, there is only one divorce and he ended up regretting his decision to ignore us after his lunch. When I walked down the aisle it was after downing a couple shots with my friends who led the way down the aisle. I frequently fly back to attend events for the children of my friends and last month a several of us got together to celebrate some milestone birthdays in South Florida.
Our parents were all well educated and had decent but not spectacular careers. Nearly all of us earned advanced degrees. We all pushed and supported each other. We continue to do so. My closest friends now include an attorney/Sports Agent who counts one of the Top 5 NBA players as his clients, another attorney brought into the Sports agency business by that friend who now has many NFL clients, an Envirnomental Engineer/Attorney that redevelops Super Fund sites with clients that include Donald Trump, a Financial Advisor (one fo the few w/o a graduate degree but more certifications than I have ever heard of CLU, CFP, CHFC etc) who works with Fortune 500 execs and has earned 7 figures annually for over 15 years, the retired CEO/founder of a Gov’t Defense IT Contractor that sold out a couple years back for mid 8 figures, a neurosurgeon, a plastic surgeon, 2 opthalmalogists, a cardiologist, a top Oil/Gas attorney, an orthopedic surgeon, 3 radiologists, a few very successful entreprenuers, a Cal berkley professor, a Sports Writer for a major US daily newspaper, the head of a major Bay Area Research organization, a couple involved in large family businesses and me who walked away from a great career track to care for my parents which I don’t regret for one moment. It is in fact one of the things I am most proud of in my life.
I could go on and on. With one or two exceptions, none of us are even close to brilliant. None of us graduated at the top of our clasess. None of us inherited great wealth, looks, atheletic talent and none of us got where we are today with outside help. What we all share in common is a sense of comfort with who were are, self-confidence, self-motivation, inner drive and friendly outgoing personalities. Everyone us feels very fortunate to be where we are and we often wonder how all us achieved so much. When it comes down to it and we try to figure it out the only thing truly separates us from many others who were raised in similar environments is each other.
It may be a bit pollyannaish but this is what I hope for my kids who already have a core of friends they have known their entire albeit short lives.
