My parents were married a few months shy of 60 years.
The reason it ended?
'till death do they part.
My dad passed away after a year and a half, my mom caring for him (me too) the entire time.
They took their vows seriously, and didn’t run when things got difficult…which happened often with 4 hyper kids.
Not common with folks today.
I was one of 5 kids in my swim team that didn’t have any step parents…
My parents are still together.
This thread though confuses me.
Explains a fair amount of it, for sure.
I’m the product of a handicapped single mom on assistance who preferred violent and abusive men. Grew up in crap neighbourhoods and all of my friends were also from single parent families (or had one parent in prison).
Current situation is a stable marriage with one kid. Neither my wife or I bought a cot before tying the knot. My daughter has noticed that the majority of her friends at school come from unstable homes – ours is an anomaly (both parents together and married in their first marriage).
Pixel.
do they have a spaceship ? 
do they have a holiday house in the south of france ? 
if so, can i have their number !?! 
take care 
p.s i am upper middle class sith !?! 
i came from a solid middle class family. Father was a diplomat reaching a moderately high position before he took early retirement. For most of their 22 years together my parents were engaged in verbal warfare. At 8 as happens to the sons of diplomats I was packed off to prep(boarding school) and at 13 to Public(boarding school). I was suited to neither . My parents are/were very intelligent but not particularly emotionally warm as parents. Basically my family was dysfunctional and it was that dysfunctionality and bullying at school that has had a profound and lasting psychological effect on me.
I have two long-time friends (brothers) who fit this profile precisely. They didn’t go sz, but they both have really dense ego defenses, bellies the size of flour sacks, and ever-increasing agitations. One is a constant pot smoker, though generally pretty competent. Maybe they missed out on the bullying at school. Hmm.
Autism and school didn’t mix well in the past. The accommodations for children today didn’t exist when I was my daughter’s age (my daughter has a bit of my curse, but only a bit). I not only hated school, I’ve developed a pathological hatred of any sort of team sport. I can’t stand being in any place that has any sort of sporting match up on the flatscreens.
10-96
I was never diagnosed with autism but had definite social interaction problems and was very much a loner/into solitary activities. I have always said the reason I got bullied especially at Public school was because I was physically and socially awkward. Although never dxed I fit dyspraxia and non verbal learning disorder quite well. Being good at sport was a passport to popularity and I was useless at it.
A more holistic and intelligent psychiatry would have picked up on those things. There was a chance during my first admission but instead the pdoc told me I was an awkward and troublesome teenager and the opportunity was lost.
I hope you find all you want over the years, or good substitution/compromise.
Was raised in comfortable enough financial situation with two parents who hated each other, who are still married by the way. I had a few of these middle class things I acquired on my own.
I developed the symptoms around 30, so I got to enjoy period of prosperity and learn all the keys to getting there. I am lucky as younger schizo onset has to be much harder. I learned the coping skills and free-spirit thing since. But I do find so many things still threatening like the social problems/stigma so am constantly dealing with other people’s rollercoaster of drama we must tolerate. I don’t do much anymore except keep myself healthy and work a little, rest of it really ate me due to other’s problems. We have to know when to cut the loses. Thanks to Facebook though, I could easily go back to old friends I knew were okay for support/social circle and this was a great gift to me after meeting more of the people who trash friends.
I do miss the financial security of working but my city’s job market went so bad, I am lucky one to be on SSDI check. Will not be able to have children. But after working in charity with so few ways to assist the young families, is relief not to drag a child through this mess. Hate living with family instead of alone but I’ve seen too many living situations I do not feel safe dealing with alone. Eventually, you learn to satisfy your needs/desires, which usually requires a compromise but makes you a lot more resilient.
You know, even with a modest income, I could have middle class perks. Even on modest income, with no debt or only good debt (house/car/school), you can have the financial security when I put money aside regularly. You will need to pick your luxuries carefully and skimp where it doesn’t matter to you. If you choose a low cost of living area, it is very possible.
I think that very few people have the perfect life. Everybodies life is *ucked up in some way. Or some people may have a good life for awhile but it doesn’t last long. Like you said Sarad, things are not always what they seem.
That is what i hate about middle class role models that I tried to describe ( surely im as well stereotyping it but not too much)
They want it sooo hard to seem perfect from inside and outside. And they will make it no matter what.
And @firemonkey and pixel are replying on my thread. That means im finally legit, right?
jk
@Sarad So long as you don’t ■■■■ stir, and are here for benign/supportive reasons , I have no problem with you.