A 28 year old dish washer at your service.

I have spent a lot of time recently talking with one of my best friends about where we are in life. Both of us had spent quite a bit of time in group homes and institutions in our teenage years and felt that we had a semi late start on life. I got out of my last home when I was almost 19. I figured out how to sign up for college and went from there. I never had the proper guidance in school so I took the wrong classes, got into some student loan debt, and now have officially dropped out. During the last 10 years or so of school (off and on/more off then on) I have worked many jobs. I started doing food work and eventually worked my way to doing tech support and then taxes. I feel my resume looks pretty ok for a 28 year old until I start looking around at others who are my age and have a carrier or even just a job that pays their bills without much worry. I stopped doing taxes recently and went back to fast food work. I work at a place that I can honestly say I love the family that owns it as well as the food that we serve. I do a lot of cleaning and cooking during my days and sometimes find myself asking why I went from the office work to this I find it funny how the answer comes just as quick as the question. I finally have a job that works with me being a parent. I get to be a mom to Tay and I get to work. I get to miss a day for doctors appointments and not have to worry about getting pointed out. I get to volunteer at my favorite places and take my daughter to ballet. Do you know what it is like being an inch worm in life when you seem to be surrounded by others breezing along? I can tell you that I used to be so upset over this very situation. I remember how much I hated myself because all I could see was the failure in front of me. The constant list of self let downs. Today, I can see I am moving along. I am SLOWLY moving along on this path of working with the youth and in no profit. I know where my heart is and will know how to appreciate the moment my dreams come true. I know what it is like to do work to get to a goal. I used to be so very angry at my parents for sending me away but today could not imagine life without being so independent. Sure, I am a 28 year old fast food worker and college drop out which with the glass half empty one could see me as a failure. Then you get to hear the rest of my story...I am also a child of institution, a single mother, a volunteer, a dreamer, and an abuse survivor working my way inch by inch towards my dream.