Why I have gratitude for my haters

This weekend will be especially hard on my haters. I have a fantastic career in code design and web developement. Three college degrees. An honorable discharge from the Army after 7 years. A wonderful family that loves me deeply. I'm surrounded by very intelligent people and am working on a project that will change humanity as we know it (more on this later). And now... my first house.

It wasn't always like this. I was beaten and abused almost daily by my parents. My mother told me that I hadn't amounted to much and probably never would. My high school experience was the perfect storm of being bullied. I was a strange child. I was divorced after almost a decade by someone who constantly yelled that she wanted to divorce me because I didn't amount to anything. I was told I was too stupid to ever learn how to use a computer.

This isn't a pity party. This is me telling you, dear reader, about the mud and shit that I sprouted my roots in. I'm proud of what I endured.

After my parents told me I was too stupid to use a computer, so I became a "kiddie scripter" (someone who uses other peoples code to initiate a hack) by 17. I now have a bachelors in cyber security. I have designed and written a program that allows for artificial memory to help those that, like me, suffer from a poor memory.

I was told I was unlovable by my first wife. So I found the woman that I love and now have a 1.5 year old daughter with her and am slowly gaining custody on my 8 year old son. I moved them from a small apartment to a luxury apartment. Now they will be sharing my first house with me. We are to be married next year.

Sincerely, if it weren't for my haters, I don't think I'd be where I am. I don't think I'd have grown such powerful roots and high ambitions. I might have been complacent with a mediocre life.

So, dear reader, when the world tries to crush you down... when the world preaches that you aren't shit... use it. Use their resistance as a spring board to a better you. Embrace their hate as fuel for your journey to find those that will love you.

Whatever you do, don't stagnate.

I love you, haters. I have gratitude for every mark you've left on me. Without you, I wouldn't be me.

-@iamthenerd