I am a 33-year-old healthy, white, American male- those facts alone seem enough to negate any hardship or personal difficulties I might discuss, especially when compared to the vast majority of people living on this planet.  But my blessings only start there.  I grew up in a loving and supportive home with everything I needed, in what must be one of the safest and most beautiful places in the country.  My parents worked hard for everything they had and everything they provided to me and my sister.  When I look back, I know I have it much easier today than they did back then.  Beyond necessities and practical comforts, I have also been given ample opportunity and enough intelligence to pursue nearly any path I want...