What do you consider to be your greatest achievement in life to-date?

I would say my greatest achievement in life to-date other than having 2 Bachelor of Science degrees might be that I’ve developed the mental and emotional strength as tough as tinman (well almost).

If you’ve followed my blog long enough, you know my life outside of my blog is chaotic. I have a mother who’s demanding and narcissistic (it’s always about her) and possibly 5 other family members who are nearly just the same. I have no friends and no social life nor am I allowed to have any it seems because every time I socialize or even talk to someone that’s not my mom or her siblings, I get in trouble for it. “They are just taking advantage of you.” That’s what mom says every time I talk to anyone.

It’s a wonder I haven’t jetted, moved to another state, or (let’s not think about it) killed myself. No, I’m still here, currently locked in a 18-year house payment to my aunt (mom’s idea), have to correct someone every time he/she asks, “So you live with your mom?” Oh no, she lives with me. Why do I even call this house mine when I know it’ll never truly be mine?

It’s currently owned by 3 people – me, mom, and my aunt. Who’s idea to add mom’s name on the deed? Mom.

I often wonder what would had happened if I had stubbornly sunk my teeth and made that security deposit on the apartment in 2016. Would it had solved my life’s biggest problem? Or would I be crawling back to my mom, broke and penniless after a few months? After all, I was in school full-time working 2 part-time jobs on the side and still no car because mom took away the car when I “misbehaved”.

What about 2018? Would I had been stupid to had moved out of my own house?

In light of all of that, I would call sticking around my greatest achievement to-date because not only that’s stubbornness on a whole different level, thanks to the daily torment, I now have the mental strength of tin-man.