My Dad grew up very poor. He said many nights they would have "coffee soup" for dinner. Just coffee with bits of stale bread thrown in. Anyway, my Dad worked for everything and has, ultimately, become a very successful contractor. Now my fiance's father had two parents that were educated and employed as teachers. Not exactly common back then, and not a rich household, but compared to my Dad being brought up on a farm with 9 other kids, they might as well have been royalty. Anyway, my FIL will complain about how he and his sister would get new winter coats every two years, but the first year they hated their coats because they were too big. My Dad never had a new winter coat. If he even was lucky enough to have a winter jacket it was a hand-me-down. Then FIL !complains about how his parents made him work part-time in the summers to help pay for the car they bought him! And you know what, the man is 60 years old and still complains about everything. I get so nauseous just listening to him! He acts like God put him on this earth to be beaten around, and yet, the man has NOTHING to complain about! He and my MIL are both retired and quite comfortable financially. They go on cruises and vacations to see their daughter down in S.C. My Dad has never complained about his past nor his present, he's grateful everyday he wakes up in the morning. Thankfully I feel now that he has instilled a very good work ethic in me, and also to see the good in my life, not all the gloom and doom. Now, my fiance, was rather lazy when I met him. He worked part-time through college and all, but he has never gone above and beyond, you know? Like I worked 2 part-time jobs (one at K-Mart where I met Dennis) and also was a full time student. I was renting my own apartment, bought and paid for a beater car and took care of maintenance etc. Dennis lived at home with his parents who bought him a lightly used Cavalier that he need only pay for the gas, in order to commute to college. Early in our relationship I used to have some resentment, but I grew, and would not have changed places with him for the world ,I realize now. He's lot different now due to different factors, becoming part of my family, becoming close to my father, his time in Iraq, my MS and becoming too disabled to work and then to even drive. He's had life experiences and things that have changed him. His Dad, however, I believe will feel like the world owes him something to his dieing day. Sorry so long, saw thread and felt the need to vent, I don't even know if any of that made sense! LOL