You have lived for 18 years of your life not knowing struggle and food deprivation. Making friends and just going to school and not really worrying about your life ahead of you. You get that random job working at Walgreens or Staples. Not enjoying it at all except for the fact that you are getting money. Money that you go through tremendously fast. You spend it on movies, clothes, food, alcohol, pot, gas, or any other costly items that may be available to you.

You say to your parents, "It's time for me to move on. I don't know how I am going to do it. I know I am going to need help. Will you help me," and you continue on down that trodden path, not actually worried yet. Nothing has sunk in yet.

It has been one year roughly since I left Rhode Island to come to Florida to continue education and get myself a career. I never realized how much money...controls everything. It is quite scary. And the economy the way it is, it is very hard to live...easily. Granted, my parents and I have always lived with a little struggle. Saving money to go places and waiting til Xmas to get a fantastic gift. I have always been okay with that. I understand. Living down here though makes you think about what you used to have. Currently, I have no food. Haha. This is actually what made me think of this and it's not me whining. I don't mind. I live. I know my parents are doing the absolute best they can for me. And I try to never ask for money unless its dire.

It's amazing what so many of us are going through. But one day, I will look back upon all of this and laugh. Say to myself, "that was hard but it made me who I am today," and I will probably never allow myself to see my kids (if I have any) to be that way. I want them to have things I never did.

We Shall See.