Wirecutter's Sheltered Life

One of Wirecutter's readers suggested he lived a sheltered life as a kid in Central California. 

Wirecutter reminds us all that perspective is a bitch: My Sheltered Life:

My Uncle Gary was 4 years older than I was so he got the job of ‘babysitting’ me. He was my best friend and my uncle, so when he started running wild at 13, I was right along with him. Like any poverty stricken area, drug and alcohol use was rampant. I smoked my first joint at 9 and was breaking into cars at about the same age. I stole my first car at 10.

My life was, and still is, "sheltered" in comparison.  I've come to believe that we all face our challenges and choose to overcome.  Family, goal-setting and hard work determine the outcome.  Of course a strong, safe and prosperous country led by honest and selfless men is helpful.

Related:  Did you hear what the Alibaba founder said?  Jack Ma: If you're poor at 35, You Deserve It.  He lives in a Communist country, and it is safe to say he too overcame some hardships.

And there is always Bill Burr: