>whether financially, psychologically, from an overall
>wellbeing standpoint, etc
>
>
>
>state of the union trended up over 8 years
>
>but the metrics on the aggregate negro basically dipped
>slightly or we collectively was running in place
>

Yea. I credit my folks for working like wild to position me to get a scholarship and go through school with minimal financial drama and only like 1 year of having to 'work forreal' during school. By the time Obama came in, I had a solid base established career-wise.

My college crew has been good to go. Moving, married, kids, all of that. Just about everyone is at least well on their feet if not doing pretty grand. This is even with the oil/gas shenanigans of the last few years.

My high school crew is about the same as 8 years ago. Aight with side hustles filling in the blanks.

My work crew isn't bad either.

I went from barely being in my low 30s and thinking about changing gigs cuz I was tired of working like I was even though I was doing well $-wise. I stayed cuz I'm loyal like an old dog sometimes. About half of the core group stayed too though. We all did pretty well for ourselves zoomed out.

The half that left are all doing pretty good too in other spots (BECAUSE WE'RE GOOD). One guy left and landed himself a crazy good situation where he got a chance to look good for just trying. He's gonna earn his way and actually get to be HIGH UP at a big place. He'll likely dwarf us all W2-wise. He's not exactly chillin and he's in some pretty visible situations, but he'll kill it fo sho.

I work less most weeks than I did 4 or 8 years ago. Even still, I don't love it like I did, and I might end up calling someone in charge a punk ass bitch to their face one of these days since I'm short on patience with my dad getting diagnosed with The C and being in and out of the hospital due to complications the last half year. But I make much more to deal with the added pressure of trying to be perfect, so maybe no one will get called a punk ass bitch to their face (yet).

I'm now damn near 40 and married. I 'inherited' a 3-year old who is now 8. She's good, funny, reasonably smart, and pretty solidly self-aware. Sure, she might cry a little more than I want and she will lose something in a minute, but SHE'S EIGHT so I get it. And she's pretty tough and can roll with the punches. And again, she has jokes. She's lightweight hilarious both intentionally and not.

Having her (and my wife) makes me feel better about just about everything. They are both there to give me a 'c'mon now bro' when I need it.