Most things came rather easy to me throughout my life. I was talking before most kids my age, reading earlier and more advanced material than other kids. I never truly struggled in most of my classes, generally performing in the top 20-25% without really trying that hard, mostly out of laziness. I've always been quick to pick up musical instruments, figure out how mechanical things work, and was confidently disassembling and reassembling computers at a comparatively young age. I did not complete college and simply worked numerous jobs over the years. I didn't have much money growing up and had a number of financial struggles until I landed in what was essentially my dream job a couple of years ago and am making enough money to be comfortable (not rich).

Am I a self-made man? Not in the slightest.

I had older siblings who encouraged me to talk and reading materials of various levels that allowed me to learn at an organic pace.

My mother was a teacher and about 50% of our toys were educational. In fact, my parents used to give us "fun" workbooks when we were children, which made homework less of a chore later in life.

I grew up with instruments around me and the means to purchase just about any reasonable instrument that interested me, meaning I had a wide array of instruments I enjoyed at my disposal.

My father was an electrical engineer and a pioneer of the PC revolution, so we had internet when most kids didn't even know what "online" meant, piles of decommissioned computers for me to fuck around with, and a functioning computer in every bedroom and office when most homes didn't have computers and any with a computer only had one that the family shared.

I dropped out of college due to boredom and worked whatever jobs I wanted to because my parents said I could continue living at home as long as I was studying or working.

I had financial issues because I had problems spending money I didn't have on things I didn't need. Even at my lowest points in life, I had a roof over my head and family who could have bailed me out of any situation I got myself into. My parents had plenty of money. While they didn't hand it to me directly, they paid for every opportunity possible for me to learn and grow.

A couple of years ago, a job opened up at my work which turned out to be the perfect cross-section of my work-experience, hobbies, and home-projects that I've had the opportunities to work on. I was recommended to apply for the job based on this facade of a "highly intelligent, self-made man" that my old boss held of me. But I'm really just a beneficiary of my circumstances.

Now, I live in a house that my wife and I own because we were able to buy it at a reasonable price from my grandparents when they moved into assisted-living. My wife and I each drive our own cars that I help keep costs low on between my remote-hybrid work and the amount of car repairs that I can do myself because I was afforded the time and opportunity to learn them when I was younger. I also do a good portion of our home repairs, upgrades, and renovations myself because I had the opportunities to help my dad do similar-ish things growing up.

In all reality, I was born upper-middle class and have managed to work my way down towards the lower-middle class. My parents did not accept nor encourage failure and they didn't have enough money or influence for me to fail my way upwards.

But I've always had the opportunity to just coast. And here I am: a child of just enough privilege, challenge, and cognizance to see how easy it is to end up struggling and to recognize what an asshole looks like.

Not enough privilege to need an award for having some semblance of self-awareness, but just enough to enjoy upvotes for admitting it.