Overheard my dad tell my cousin that dropping out meant I 'gave up' and it stung way more than I expected

He said it while I was standing right there in the kitchen at my sister's place in Phoenix, and I wanted to remind him that I've been running my own dog walking business for 3 years now pulling in $45k, but I just walked out instead because what's the point in arguing with someone who thinks a degree is the only measure of success, has anyone else had family totally dismiss what you built after leaving school?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_joseph9d agoMost Upvoted

That's rough man, sorry you had to hear that.

sethb459d ago

Wait, a degree is the only measure of success? So I guess Einstein was a total failure when he dropped out of high school, right? (Or however that story goes, I always mix up the details). It's funny how your dad skipped over the part where you built a whole business from scratch and just went straight to "gave up" like that's the only possible takeaway. I mean, $45k walking dogs while being your own boss sounds like a win in my book, especially compared to people with degrees working jobs they hate. Maybe next time he brings it up, you can offer to walk his dog for a fee and see if he respects the hustle then.

juliagonzalez9d ago

$45k and your own business sounds like the opposite of giving up to me. People who never took a risk love to judge the ones who actually did. Maybe he needs to look up the definition of "starting" instead of "quitting.

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