My grandparents took 160 acres of desert sagebrush, dug irrigation ditches, planted crops and turned it into a nice little dairy farm with 40 Guernsey cows. They raised six kids in a two bedroom house, and were able to purchase a couple rental houses over the years. They raised almost everything the family ate, and had a presentable car and dress clothes for church every week, and they paid Tithe "religiously".
They were able to sell property off a bit at a time to support them self through their golden years which lasted until they were 95.
My parents got divorced and sold their property when they were about 50 and went on SSI $350/month each and Medicaid. Dad is 88 this year and Mom will be 82.
You make your choices and you live with the results.
Me, I started a blue collar job and stayed with it until I was shift foreman. Been foreman for 32 years now. In a couple years I will retire with 20% higher annual income than I ever made working. Even with a bunch of overtime.
I count my blessing that I was not born in a subsaharan hut, trying to keep the lions from eating the cow by use of a sharpened stick, and never knowing when the guerrilla gangs would come by with their AK47s to rape my wife and daughters and kill or kidnap my sons.
And I do not waste ANY time worrying that Bill Gates of Jeff Bezos might have it better than I.
In short, we live in the best lands in the world, and at the best time in history. I suspect things may not be so rosey for my grandkids or their kids.
