From Public Housing to Early Retirement: A Path Forged in Adversity

In my childhood, I grew up in public housing. From the age of 11, I attended what in the UK is the rough equivalent of a public high school. This was during a very volatile and violent phase of societal change in my country, set against a backdrop of illegal paramilitary organisations. They effectively "hoovered up" a high portion of my childhood friends, regurgitating them as dead bodies or incarcerated prisoners with no future. This was the reality of my childhood and formative years. The majority of the lucky ones who escaped this fate now work in manual labour and assembly line jobs.

And then there's me. I'm retired at 58 and could be considered slightly wealthy. How can having such similar childhood and early adulthood experiences produce such different outcomes? My brother was more intelligent than me, yet he got sucked into the paramilitary organisations, spent time in prison for attempted murder, and developed drug and alcohol addiction. Suicide took his life before forty. Two of my uncles were high-ranking individuals within the leadership of these very same organisations and also spent time in prison. Again, I think, what's different about me?

I can't think of much. I had an instinct within me to avoid drugs and gangs; peer pressure from my friends didn't faze me. I worked hard; in 15 years of employment, I never missed a day. I looked at my brother and thought that whatever he did, me doing the opposite would probably be the best course of action. I've had a stable and strong relationship with my now wife since high school. I put effort into education and learning, yet I still struggle to pinpoint the reason for such contrasting fates.

Other than the above slight advantages, I managed to get on the housing ladder, invest what I could afford for my future, and eventually leveraged my house to start my own business. I maybe had luck and some good fortune along the way, but a stable relationship, strong work ethic, entrepreneurship, and the stock market all interconnected to let me have my current lifestyle.

I don't feel ashamed of my story, and although some people scorn those who succeed, they haven't walked my path or felt my anguish. I survived and endured an era of violence and emotional trauma, but thanks to the wonder of compounding and the economic system that offered me pathways to success, I'm grateful and humbled for my retirement over adversity.

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