How poor 'were you'

It is fairly touching to hear what some of you have gone through in life. I have, thanksfully, never had to experience being poor in the literal sense of the word. The experiences of both of my parents, however, was markedly different.

My father was born in 1921 in Germany. So, by the time he was around my age (I'm currently 20), he was in a uniform on the front lines. I believe he was sent into Russia and was captured. According to my memory, he spent over a year in a Russian prison camp. After the war, however, he managed to become a VP of Thyssen steel and later started a contracting company in Dusseldorf. After that he moved to the US and managed to buy an amusement park. It's pretty sad that I don't know how he went from being forced into the Germany army and having nothing to making seven figures a year. He was a fairly private person and never really discussed his past with even my mother. Unfortunately I probably won't ever know about his life before me due to the fact that he died from Alzheimers in 1991.

My mother, on the other hand, grew up in outside of Manila. The start of her life was pretty good, as her father made a good living. They had five maids, a driver, and pretty much everything else one could ever want. Unfortunately for her and her eleven siblings, my grandfather was a womanizer and spent all of his/their money on whores. He promptly lost most of his wealth and probably fathered countless numbers of illegitimate children. So, my mother and her siblings had to become acclimated to a more modest lifestyle. My mother managed to move to the US during the 80's and lived in Queens with one of her sisters. She related a few stories to me of when she came home at night and had to step over drunks to get to her apartment.

Fortunately for me, I suppose, my parents suffered through their share of hardships and overcame so I didn't have to experience the darker side of life. Unfortunately for me, my father died when I was six and I was blessed with an incredible memory so my recollection of the time during which my father went from PhD intellect to not knowing me is fairly lucid. I would certainly give up my substantial inheretance to get back what I lost. Rich and poor are really relative terms. By most people's standards I am rich, although sometimes I really don't feel that way. Family is way more important than financial well being in my opinion. Then again, I don't suppose I can make that statement as I have never experienced being poor in the literal sense of the word.

I thought I had my fair share of hardships, but reading how several of you grew up really pales my experiences.