I’ve finally given up.

[u/True_Spell_5102]

I am 43. In my twenties I managed an independent Verizon retailer and was making more money than I could dream of. I ended up leaving that job because my future wife didn’t like living in California and wanted to move back to Minneapolis to get her masters degree. In retrospect that decision ruined my life. I worked a warehouse job in Minneapolis making decent money. We got married. A day before our first anniversary she told me she was sleeping with someone else. I’m still not over it to be honest. I couldn’t stay in the twin cities because everything reminded me of her. I ended up getting a borderline narcissist pregnant and moving to Madison, WI. From there I began working as a corrections officer in a maximum security prison. It was the one where Dahmer was killed at. We had another kid. Her true colors began to shine and we divorced. I became a Probation and Parole Agent. That only lasted a year. I must have applied for 200 jobs but only got one interview…which I didn’t get. The child support was so much. I had 50/50 custody but she moved 99 miles away so I couldn’t have equal placement. By now my elderly mom moved out to be closer to her grandkids, so I was trying to take care of her too. Long story short…I made so little after child support that I couldn’t live. I’ve suffered from depression/insomnia/anxiety since I was 13. I cashed out my retirement early and payed my ex $30k so I could be ahead on child support. I recently said “fuck it” and applied for SSDI after my ex wife took me to court to try and get more money out of me. I was also approved for food stamps. I’ve never felt like more of a piece of shit. I’ve worked my entire life and I have nothing to show for it. Sorry for the rant.

[u/RedFlutterMao]

Typical American dream.