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Accepting donations to fix my miserable life

I've been lurking this thread for a bit; I just wanted to see what directions it would take. I'm glad the OP is starting to realize that advice was given that would allow him to help himself, not looking for others to handout. We're in a tough economy and no one has the money to shell out on someone who has no drive, ambition, or stones to make their investment worthwhile.

I read the OP's response on page 3, post 30; it's lengthy so I chose not to quote it. You are now reading the response of someone who's gone through more than their share of life issues with family, and I will say that I'd rather live your mess than what I've gone through which includes an estranged relationship with my father long after his death (2001), coming to terms with my stepfather who did terrible things to me and my sisters, leaving my husband of 10 years due to verbal, emotional, physical abuse (with two children in tow). One of those two children hit age 13 and literally tore the family apart to the point that my daughter from age 16-18 barely spoke to me; she blamed me for everything.

Since 2007 I've struggled in and out of employment simply because I stood up to a HR Director whose only qualification for that position was that she was a Yale grad lawyer. That's great when you need an attorney, but when you're dealing with HR problems, you need someone experienced with a HR education to help get problems resolved. She is still the poorest example of how to run HR department I've ever dealt with. But I've picked up, dusted myself off, and rolled with the punches. I still struggle, but the point of it is--I fight and don't roll over and wallow in excuses anymore.

I also struggle with my weight; I went to the doctor yesterday and realized I've allowed myself to regain almost all of the 70 pounds I lost 2005-2006. That was miserable to hear, but I needed to know. Now I'm going to be working with my doctor to start over again and stay on track because I have a lot of weight to lose. It is an abysmal feeling to know I failed like that, but I am ready to deal with it along with the depression that keeps causing the problems. I've struggled with weight longer than you have been alive, and being female it's even worse to deal with, let me tell you.

Now that's the Readers Digest condensed version--I've left out plenty of sorted details because this thread really isn't about me. I just wanted to point out to you that although you've gone through hell, many of us have as well and gone through far worse than you.

You're 23; if I was young enough to go to the military, I'd be the hell outta' here! No one likes authority, but you can learn by submission to right type of authority you can learn a great deal about yourself in the process. You can grow into a man you can be proud of and do things you never thought were in you.

Whatever your situation is with your father, you are a man now and must become responsible for your own life and way. You have to get in the mirror and deal with reality. You've talked (almost ad nauseum) about what's wrong in your life and that it's always someone else's fault. You have to do whatever it takes to drag your ass out of this funk, get off the couch, back away from the tv and computer and build a new life for yourself.

I'll tell you what I told my daughter and it's gotten her off my case and into her own mirror. I said "you don't get to pick your parents!" And you don't; we as parents are flawed people who make plenty of mistakes while we're raising our children. We don't mean it, but crap happens; what you choose to do with it is what will either make you stronger and get you to the next generational level, or as a legitimate excuse for further mediocrity.

I do wish you well and hope you make the right choices that will get you where you need to go in life.
 
I quit jobs a day after getting hired. I walked out, cussed managers out, the whole 9 yards. I turned 22 yesterday. With no high school diploma or GED and a job record like that, I'm in a similar boat. I'm also trying to tackle supporting my significant other, not just myself. Mix that with working on my GED, and a crazy family, I know the deal.

The difference is, I have no job. I have 2 people to support. I have, on top of that, to figure out how the fuck I'm going to survive and see my girl on a daily basis.

The other difference is that when I'm online, I study, I fill out more applications than anybody should ever need to, and I keep pushing.

Another one is that I learned that even with all of this, my life is GOOD. I have shit I need to do, but overall, I'm a lucky mother fucker. Once you realize this, you'll spend more time pushing, and less time asking for somebody to push shit for you.

I learned that lesson the hard way, you are going through the same.

YES YES YES YES!!!!

I used to work 12 hour shifts on the flight line working on F-16's in Phoenix. Just imagine that....ave temp of 110 degrees during the summer...120 degrees on the flightline with fighter jet exhaust everywhere...literally dodgeing the stuff. Before the pilot arrived i'd have 20-40 minutes to prep the jet...longer if he was late. I'd grab my study book and prop my back against the wheel of the F-16 and study. I'd get a solid two hours of study time a day while my buddies chilled in the breakroom watching the game or bullshitting. Some would even take naps in my position...which is illegal...and should seem difficult seeing as F-16s are taxiing and taking off only a few yards away.

I'm rambling.....

The point is maximize your time. Stop playing the games and take some classes. I wasn't allowed to take classes when I first joined the military so I took CLEP exams...just for fun really. I completed 18 credits worth while working 12 hour days in one year. At no cost to me....but $77 a test for civilians. Not too bad! http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html

Appreciate where you're at. Be thankful for what you have. In the words of Leo's wise post above "I'm a lucky motherfucker". I've worked my ass off...but i'm lucky nonetheless.

Envision where you want to go. Devise a concrete plan to get there. Be as detailed as possible. i.e. In March I want to have this class done. In 2012 I want to live here. ect

Keep pushing....at all facets of your life. (Work, education, fitness, love, spirituality, friendships) and you'll be a much happier man.

Take responsibility. I grew up in a violent home. While it still effects me...I don't let it bring me down. And I sure as hell don't use it as an excuse. Everyone has their issues...and the next guys is always worse than yours. It's in the past. I am responsible for MY LIFE. It's the only life I have and i'll be damned if I let anyone influence how it goes for me.


"I dictate my attitude which influences my circumstances, MY CIRCUMUSTANCES DO NOT INFLUENCE MY ATTITUDE WHICH DICTATE ME. I am in control of my life."

GQguy(in a speech I gave a little while ago)


GQ
 
"I dictate my attitude which influences my circumstances, MY CIRCUMUSTANCES DO NOT INFLUENCE MY ATTITUDE WHICH DICTATE ME. I am in control of my life."



GQ

Yes, this is definitely something you should live by. 🙂
 
I don't think it is a good idea to join the military for the wrong reason! Joining because you don't have money is definitely the wrong reason! Mercenaries are never as good fighting for their country as people who truly want to defend it!
 
I don't think it is a good idea to join the military for the wrong reason! Joining because you don't have money is definitely the wrong reason! Mercenaries are never as good fighting for their country as people who truly want to defend it!

With all due respect, I totally disagree with you. And I completely disagree with you calling them "mercenaries." You do know all military personnel get paid for being there right??

Look at our present economic situation and compare that to opportunities for new college grads. I'm sorry but the military is a positive career choice for the grad and non-grad. You get to learn skills that can transfer to careers once you get out. If you graduated from college with 100,000+ in debt, the government will help you pay some or all of that debt back instead of trying to pay it back with a $20,000/yr job in the private sector over the next 15 years. Also, college grads are prime candidates for officers school along with a host of opportunities not provided in the private sector. My daughter is presently investigating the Air Force to go to officers school then JAG corp if her opportunities don't improve by the time she completes graduate school. They'll pay her student loans and law school; no one in the private sector is going to do that for her.

Besides, if you're 23, in a dead end job, with no idea what your next move is, the military is a great place to start. If you're young with no sense of direction, coming from a messed up home with no real skills or abilities that transition into the adult world, the military is a very viable option.

I personally know of one young lady who barely graduated from high school, kept getting fired from jobs, and ran with every drug dealer and derelict of society she could find. She went into the Air Force and completely turned her life around. She's now serving overseas and couldn't be happier about it. It works for anyone who really gives it a chance.

If you talk to people in the military, you might be surprised of many of their motivation to be there. Many times, it was usually because nothing else panned out for them and the military was the answer. The born soldier and the soldier out of necessity carry the same gear and use it the same way. They take the same oath and fight the same battles; nothing is different IMHO.
 
With all due respect, I totally disagree with you. And I completely disagree with you calling them "mercenaries." You do know all military personnel get paid for being there right??

Of course I do. I work for the US Army. And that's how I see what happens with the people who only joined for the advantages, but aren't ready to take the disadvantages.

Women let themselves get impregnated when they hear they are supposed to go to Iraq, men shoot themselves in the foot.....

Of course, when you join during times when you know there are wars all around, you should be smart enough to expect you are going to be in a war zone, so maybe that makes a difference, but if you join hoping you will be in no-danger zones all the time and just get money and education, the Army is the wrong place for you!
 
Of course I do. I work for the US Army. And that's how I see what happens with the people who only joined for the advantages, but aren't ready to take the disadvantages.

Women let themselves get impregnated when they hear they are supposed to go to Iraq, men shoot themselves in the foot.....

Of course, when you join during times when you know there are wars all around, you should be smart enough to expect you are going to be in a war zone, so maybe that makes a difference, but if you join hoping you will be in no-danger zones all the time and just get money and education, the Army is the wrong place for you!

Well, I'd rather separate the wheat from the chaff in the beginning; let them get pregnant or articled out before they get overseas and really tear something up. Not everyone can handle war and it sure beats the hell out of turning your gun on your comrades huh?

Unless someone just crawled underneath a rock in the last ten years, the US is at war! The chance of them serving in the Middle East is high, especially if you're in the Army or Marines. Either way, your student loans get paid, you gain skills and abilities you might never do in the private sector, and you obtain benefits during and after service. My tenant is ex-military; when she got pregnant, she got full medical from the VA and the baby was covered until his birth when medicaid took over. When she couldn't find work and her resources were exhausted I took her to VA services where she was given food, clothing, and furniture vouchers and given 2 months in rent payments. This was after they paid off her student loans; the list of benefits for military service is very long. What does the private sector have to offer you? Nothing and you're lucky if you even still have a job.

And why not just go for the money and education? It's there and available in many forms including internet and correspondence classes. Now if you're in the middle of fighting in Afghanistan, you might want to put your educational aspirations on hold--that's what the G.I. bill is for.

Not every branch of the military is serving in the Middle East, nor are the tour of duty commitments the same. Some branches commit to 18 month tours, some six months at a time. A determined soldier can do a lot with a six month tour time as opposed to an 18 month commitment. Either way it beats the hell out of the alternative of either becoming nothing much with your life, or even end up in jail. If your alternatives are slim to none, the military is wide open and looking for new recruits everyday.
 
Well, I'd rather separate the wheat from the chaff in the beginning; let them get pregnant or articled out before they get overseas and really tear something up. Not everyone can handle war and it sure beats the hell out of turning your gun on your comrades huh?

If someone can't handle war, the person shouldn't become a soldier. If I can't handle seeing blood, I don't become a surgeon, that's how easy it is!

Unless someone just crawled underneath a rock in the last ten years, the US is at war! The chance of them serving in the Middle East is high, especially if you're in the Army or Marines.

True! But I still believe a lot of people hope anyways they will be lucky enough not to go. A guy here even deserted and asked for asylum in Germany, having his lawyer trying to say that the war in Iraq is against international law!

And why not just go for the money and education?

If you are ready to possibly pay for money and education with your life - sure!

Not every branch of the military is serving in the Middle East, nor are the tour of duty commitments the same.

I know, but at the moment you are getting recruited, you don't know where you will end up. I've seen a lot of soldiers who thought they would never end up in the Middle East, and did anyways.

If your alternatives are slim to none, the military is wide open and looking for new recruits everyday.

Whenever I hear this, I am very very happy to live in Germany and not the US.
 
If someone can't handle war, the person shouldn't become a soldier. If I can't handle seeing blood, I don't become a surgeon, that's how easy it is!

That's real easy to say from the outside looking in. But when you're young and opportunities to change your life are limited, you go for what's in front of you and roll the dice. Sometimes, you'll win, and sometimes you deal with the consequences of your decisions. If you sign up for military service, you just might end up in a combat zone, plain and simple. I've seen military service help change a lot of lives for the better, even in wartime. Unless you or someone out there has a better alternative that works, it is what it is. When you're in that position, you don't know what you can handle until it's in your face; it's not their fault if they freak out. It's how they handle the news afterwards that matters.

True! But I still believe a lot of people hope anyways they will be lucky enough not to go. A guy here even deserted and asked for asylum in Germany, having his lawyer trying to say that the war in Iraq is against international law!

Okay, and?? Obviously it didn't work out for him. Did he go and perform his duty? Did he choose incarceration for AWOL? What did he do at the end of the day is what matters.

And for all the examples of the ones who freaked out and tried to avoid deployment, how many just got on the plane and did what they swore to do? I'm thinking those who served proudly outnumbered the cowards.

If you are ready to possibly pay for money and education with your life - sure!

I could go outside to the corner store and get hit by a bus! The only guarantee you have about life is one day it will end; make what happens inbetween account for something. At least the soldier who goes for money and education dies pursuing something. So many nowadays die for absolutely nothing, don't you agree??

I know, but at the moment you are getting recruited, you don't know where you will end up. I've seen a lot of soldiers who thought they would never end up in the Middle East, and did anyways.

Sometimes recruiters lie in order to obtain quotas and I know of situations of written guarantees being overridden by the needs of the military. If a person goes into the military (especially now in wartime), they must assume that they may spend some time in the Middle East. Believe it or not, not everyone that's in the military has been there; some of them may never serve there. But if they do, it is what it is; it's not a guaranteed death sentence. More come home than die over there.

Whenever I hear this, I am very very happy to live in Germany and not the US.

And whenever I hear something like this I'm glad those living outside the US have an opinion, but that's just what it is and you know what those are like.
 
Sometimes, you'll win, and sometimes you deal with the consequences of your decisions. If you sign up for military service, you just might end up in a combat zone, plain and simple.

Exactly. And people who sign up for the military should be aware of that and expect it from the get-go. If they are ready to deal with it, I respect that, I totally respect that!

What I don't respect is people who sign up just for the advantages and will do everything to get out of their duty. It is just not fair to the others!

What did he do at the end of the day is what matters.

Well, what he's doing right now is hoping that the highest court in Germany will say the war is against national law. I highly doubt that will happen.

At least the soldier who goes for money and education dies pursuing something.

If he is actually ready to take that risk, yes! I think you don't understand what I mean! If someone is fully aware, yes, joining the Army could mean that I have to go fight and die and I am willing to do that for the opportunity to get education and money, then I am fine with that!

If a person goes into the military (especially now in wartime), they must assume that they may spend some time in the Middle East. Believe it or not, not everyone that's in the military has been there; some of them may never serve there. But if they do, it is what it is; it's not a guaranteed death sentence. More come home than die over there.

You are not telling me any news here! My husband never served in the Middle East. But I know that there are people who simply like to ignore the possibility that they will be in a war. Believe me, I've talked to them.

And whenever I hear something like this I'm glad those living outside the US have an opinion, but that's just what it is and you know what those are like.

It's always a noble character treat to respect other people's opinions though.

Anyways, coming back to topic - judging from everything the OP tells us about himself, do you really think the military would be the right option for him?
 
thats enough guys, i dont want to hear anymore about the military. i wont join because i know i couldnt emotionally handle it. and i dont want to leave the country, i just know im needed here. what for i dont know at the moment, but i refuse to leave the country, this state even, because i need to be here. end of discussion
 
I work for the US Army.
Tell me you dress up for work like one of those hot German frauleins in Hogan’s Heros, and my day will be made! :bubbleheart:

arlene65.jpg
 
thats enough guys, i dont want to hear anymore about the military. i wont join because i know i couldnt emotionally handle it. and i dont want to leave the country, i just know im needed here. what for i dont know at the moment, but i refuse to leave the country, this state even, because i need to be here. end of discussion

Look, I made some suggestions and another poster didn't agree with me. It's called a discourse and it happens a lot on threads. So take the posts for what they are...information and try not to get so upset over it.

Regardless to your distaste and aversion to military service, there have been many legitimate alternatives for your situation. Choose one, choose many, choose none--it's certainly your business.

I do wish you well and hope you make decisions that are positive and enhance your life's journey for the better. Good luck and happy landings.

Peace out!
 
Look, I made some suggestions and another poster didn't agree with me. It's called a discourse and it happens a lot on threads. So take the posts for what they are...information and try not to get so upset over it.

Regardless to your distaste and aversion to military service, there have been many legitimate alternatives for your situation. Choose one, choose many, choose none--it's certainly your business.

I do wish you well and hope you make decisions that are positive and enhance your life's journey for the better. Good luck and happy landings.

Peace out!

well when it had to do with something completely unrelated to the topic ( your disagreement was about the military money + education vs life ) and i am strongly willed against joining the military which i had already declared ( well, maybe not that i was strongly against it. i did however say that i wouldnt join ) i have a right to announce an end to it. and im thankful that you both have honored that. MOVING ON!

iv come up with a possible solution to a part of the problem, and im going to look into it today. i will update when i find out the answer later.


( im actually going to create a seperate thread for the military discussion that went on, because i do have a few things id like to say. care to post in there? )
 
Yes. I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion about the military.
 
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