I've never had the opportunity to experience happiness. I was bullied and tormented for being poor in high school.

I've never had a single friend, and I've never had the financial means to go out.

That flicker of optimism that I could possibly accomplish financial stability moves me along. But then again, why should it? Hundreds of millions of people live in severe poverty, while billions more live in impecuniosity.

If it's so easy to "escape poverty", as they say, I surmise the vast majority of the population wouldn't be poor, and I am no exception.

I invest nearly all of my time studying and missing out on all of the experiences I could never have. There isn't much else to do, anyway.