I am a high school drop out..

\i was highly touted academic achiever for much of my life. I won a bunch of stupid elementary and high school awards for math and science as well as a two scholarships to elite private schools before I was 15

When I was in 10th grade my father who was my mentor and the most important person in my life suffered a debilitating heart attack. By the time he recovered he was starting to suffer from Alzheimers.

My mother and father were never married. Sort of a friends with benefits situation. Might be useful to mention that my dad was 20 tears older than my mom. They were always close but never really before I was born, romantically involved/ In fact they met at my Fathers previous wife's wake.

She had brain cancer and been hanging on for years in hospital. When she finally passed, they had a wake at a local bar. My mother was there. That is the story of my creation.

I tell this part to illustrate why my mom is 20 years my late fathers junior.

Around the end of grade 10, my mother with whom I lived fell ill. / A different sort of thing. Crohms and an eating disorder.

I ended up out of school not two years after being, without boasting, the most promenading student in my suburb. .

Point being: I had great parents. They did everything they could. But when they both faltered, for a short time before I was mature enough to handle it,,, Ny life changed irreparably.

I'm, okay. I have a wife, child and job. Life could certainly be worse. But I though of killing myself everyday for a decade before I reconciled my lost potential.

We need to take more care to address the issues of out youth. It's hard to remember when you are an adult, but those years are magnified in importance. Nor just because of you, but becasue of what people expect of you.