From my experience, kids can be some of the cruelest people just to fit in/be funny/feel superior at the cost of others. It’s a part of your past and you can’t change that, but you can change who you’ll become. It’s not easy being a good person and you’re going to have tough choices to make, but it’s the right thing to do.

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I do understand that abused kids have a higher tendency to abuse others and that is a more complicated issue that this statement does not pertain to.

I also concede that there are kids that never grow up, unfortunately.

This was an enlightening read. Thank you for sharing this.

I’m not sure how you want your learning sessions, but I just use ChatGPT for a project I had and it explains everything with the code to work from

Form my perspective, if they can strategize maximizing income, that will eventually lead to them getting a job. I don’t carry cash, which is why I take them to eat, but when I do, I just didn’t know where it would go.

If what you’re saying is true, I’ll then reconsider.

I’m on the fence about giving money to homeless people on the streets, but am all for donating to / volunteering for organizations that help them.

My reason starts with how organized and strategic they can be. For example, I was waiting at a bus stop downtown and there were three homeless people planning out which intersections they were splitting to next and how they were going to divide the total afterwards.

Second example in downtown. There’s a guy begging for food in the mall, so I take him to the nearest food stand, we both order a meal, and eat at a table. He was talking about his plan to get off the streets and all and went back to refill his drink after eating. During that time, I went to the cashier for something and she told me he’s with a few others that come back pretty regularly. When we get back to the table, he then tells me that he needs $10 for a place to stay for the night and then leads me to the nearest atm. Once we’re there, I tell him everything the cashier told me and he doesn’t say anything with an “ok you caught me look”. I still give him the money even though he knows that I know he’ll be back doing the same thing.

I know this is is not the case for all homeless people, such as the meal I had with one with mental disabilities, but it’s a mixed bag. Just do what you can and don’t feel bad if you can’t.

Have a clear set of long-term goals for yourself, ie career, where you want to live, and what you want to be. Set deadlines for each with steps on how to do it.

It’s time to start building the rest of your life. It won’t be easy but you’ll be doing it for you, so make it worthwhile.

Because my mom wants me to.