Well, I wasn't doing all that at 18. I admire you, but I was out being what I consider a normal teenager - dating, going to dances, writing for the newspaper, going to keggers [yes, I confess], and going to college.
jmo - Illiteracy is a huge handicap with such a social stigma attached. When it's due to a learning disability rather than "defiance" or "laziness," I imagine it is very difficult to be very enthusiastic about school. It was probably a nightmare for both generations.
"Shallow" - I don't really like that descriptor. How many other parents of that age do we know who have managed to stay married all this time? They remained very close to their children. Who knows what they have had to conquer just to get where they were before Mr. Ronald came into their lives?
A member of my own family almost ended up in trouble with pain medicine after a very painful bout with the shingles. He has never used illicit drugs, doesn't even like taking his blood pressure medicine -- the only drugs he liked was Goody's Powders. But he was so amazed at how much better he felt after taking the Rx [dunno if hydro- or oxy-codone] that he could have very easily ended up "doctor shopping." [Fortunately, he's got a stronger constitution than most peeps.]
Sorry for the sermon, but I really do have some empathy for many of these people.