# I Pit my dad for unironically pointing out that he retired at 50, and that at 36, I've never worked **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 3, 2014, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738 "2014-03-03T06:03:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Meyer6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Meyer6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meyer6)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/101 "2014-03-07T07:54:04Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Excuse me, I particularly take exception to this line. Neither my spouse nor I are helpless and characterizing him as a “victim of circumstance” is especially insulting. Yeah, well, I’m not surprised you don’t like it. I’m just calling it as I see it. You come off as very invested in both mentioning you husbands disability at every turn and constantly reminding everyone that certain posters are disabled, so we just shouldn’t expect so much of them. I actually agree that portraying _anyone_ as a nothing but an unfortunate victim of circumstance is insulting, but to my mind it is _you_ who is presenting the situation in that light. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/102 "2014-03-07T08:09:59Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Circling back… “bladder incident”? [Here ya go!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12881062&postcount=6)Held it till his bladder exploded. > [@Broomstick](#): > > Well, yeah, but what _else_ has he got to do all day besides provoke a show? Allegedly he’s back at [college](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=713740)this time. He should be busy with his research survey. ---
**Author:** ![Oliveritaly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oliveritaly/32/15233_2.png) [@Oliveritaly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oliveritaly)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/103 "2014-03-07T11:00:02Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > [Here ya go!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12881062&postcount=6)Held it till his bladder exploded. > … What the hell did I just read? ---
**Author:** ![oz0ne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9fc348/32.png) [@oz0ne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oz0ne)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/104 "2014-03-07T11:20:38Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Well, yeah, but what _else_ has he got to do all day besides provoke a show? Keep looking for a fuckin’ job? ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/105 "2014-03-07T14:41:02Z")
> [@Meyer6](#): > > You come off as very invested in both mentioning you husbands disability at every turn and constantly reminding everyone that certain posters are disabled, so we just shouldn’t expect so much of them. Let’s see, we’re in a post discussing at least tangentially disability, and the OP and my spouse happens to both have the same one… it’s relevant to this thread. It’s no different than being in a thread discussing law and someone mentioning they’re a lawyer. I’ve been in plenty of other threads where it never comes up, but maybe you’re interests are much more narrow than mine. Also, pointing out that someone experiences discrimination is NOT the same as saying we “shouldn’t expect so much of them”, it’s pointing out that for the same level of achievement of someone able-bodied they’ve probably done MORE than the norm. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/106 "2014-03-07T14:45:34Z")
> [@Oliveritaly](#): > > What the hell did I just read? It’s quite common in spina bifida that the nerves controlling the bladder either don’t work or never formed in the first place. As a result, the person can’t piss and the bladder just keeps filling up until either a catheter is inserted to drain it, or until something gives - either the pressure overcomes the strength of the urinary sphincters or a weak spot in the bladder wall gives way, spilling piss into the abdominal cavity. Needless to say, the latter is a serious medical problem. The OP apparently elected not to piss for a sufficiently long period of time that his bladder ruptured. Stupid and foolish, but hey, young people are like that sometime. I’m also going to take a wild ass guess and assume that due to his spinal damage he didn’t feel any, or at least very little, pain until something popped. For folks with ordinary sensation it usually never gets to that point because an overfull bladder gets to be exceedingly painful. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/107 "2014-03-07T15:04:41Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The OP apparently elected not to piss for a sufficiently long period of time that his bladder ruptured. Stupid and foolish, but hey, young people are like that sometime. No, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most “young people” aren’t like that any time, let alone "sometime. It takes a very special sort of stupid refuse to pee as part of a huge tantrum–and refuse to pee for so long that his bladder exploded. That “young people are like that” generalization really, _really_ doesn’t work in this case. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/108 "2014-03-07T15:08:05Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > No, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most “young people” aren’t like that any time, let alone "sometime. It takes a very special sort of stupid refuse to pee as part of a huge tantrum–and refuse to pee for so long that his bladder exploded. That “young people are like that” generalization really, _really_ doesn’t work in this case. Plus, it looks like [this happened about 14 years](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12880669&postcount=1) ago when he would have been 22. When I was 22 I had moved out, had a Masters, a mortgage and a full time job. I wasn’t being a teenage petulant arse anymore. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/109 "2014-03-07T15:49:57Z")
2014 minus 2010 equals 4, not 14. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/110 "2014-03-07T16:16:04Z")
In 2010 he said the health issues were ten years ago, so that would’ve been 2000 when he was 22 (born in 1978, judging by OP and username). ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/111 "2014-03-07T16:54:01Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > No, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that most “young people” aren’t like that any time, let alone "sometime. It takes a very special sort of stupid refuse to pee as part of a huge tantrum–and refuse to pee for so long that his bladder exploded. That “young people are like that” generalization really, _really_ doesn’t work in this case. No, regular young people do stupid things like [car surfing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_surfing), [neknominating](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neknominate), casual drug use, driving cars while drunk/high, the ever-popular diving head-first into shallow water which generates a significant portion of the quadraplegics in the world, and a lot of other stupid shit that every year maims and kills young folks. The OP is in the unusual position of probably not feeling any discomfort in his bladder, which makes doing something like what he did a lot easier than for folks who feel pain in that area. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/112 "2014-03-07T16:55:15Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > When I was 22 I had moved out, had a Masters, a mortgage and a full time job. I wasn’t being a teenage petulant arse anymore. Well, bravo to you for being ahead of the curve but most folks aren’t you. In fact, most folks are doing well just to have a bachelor’s and their own apartment at that age. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/113 "2014-03-07T17:49:29Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Well, bravo to you for being ahead of the curve but most folks aren’t you. In fact, most folks are doing well just to have a bachelor’s and their own apartment at that age. Yeah, it helps if you’ve managed to finish your bachelors and not being thrown out for abusing your email account. He can’t blame his dad or his disability for that one. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/114 "2014-03-07T18:06:30Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Well, bravo to you for being ahead of the curve but most folks aren’t you. In fact, most folks are doing well just to have a bachelor’s and their own apartment at that age. Yes, but the OPer is 36 now. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/115 "2014-03-07T18:39:55Z")
Yes, but my post was referring to someone saying “by the time I was 22 I…” in comparison to what the OP had or hadn’t accomplished by 22. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/116 "2014-03-07T18:48:07Z")
> [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > Yeah, it helps if you’ve managed to finish your bachelors and not being thrown out for abusing your email account. He can’t blame his dad or his disability for that one. Not for the e-mail account abuse, but I don’t know how his disability affected his education. My spouse didn’t finish his GED until 19 because of how much time he’d spend in the hospital the prior 5 years due to medical problems and multiple surgeries. Most of 19-20 he was in the hospital while doctor’s tried to save his right leg (successful, fortunately, but it was a 14 month hospital stay). He didn’t even start college until 21 due not to laziness, lack of ambition, e-mail abuse, or even finances but simply due to health issues. So, just as important as “why did/didn’t the OP have a bachelor’s by 22” is “when did he start college?”. If you can start college at 18 and don’t have to take time off for one reason or another sure, getting a bachelors by 22 is reasonable. If you can’t even start until 21, or you start at 18 but lose time to medical problems, a bachelor’s by 22 isn’t such a slam dunk. Of course, refusing to piss until your bladder explodes is _really fucking stupid_, on which point I think we can all agree. _That is his own damn fault, as is any “e-mail abuse”, college policy violations, and other misdemeanors over which he did have control._ Lest I be accused of having nothing but sympathy for the OP, which I don’t. If anything I’m being of a devil’s advocate for pointing that there may be some things over which the OP genuinely doesn’t have control, or very little control, which may have an impact here. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/117 "2014-03-07T18:54:06Z")
I wouldn’t sweat anything that the OP isn’t even willing to defend himself. Just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/118 "2014-03-07T18:58:14Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > I wouldn’t sweat anything that the OP isn’t even willing to defend himself. Just saying. So basically never sweat anything that **etv78** ever says, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/119 "2014-03-07T19:26:35Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > So basically never sweat anything that **etv78** ever says, ever. But remember that saying so four posts in will likely get you a warning. We’ll have to wait each time for two dozen posts asking for more information before we can conclude that he’s done it to us again. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738/120 "2014-03-07T19:36:48Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > The OP apparently elected not to piss for a sufficiently long period of time that his bladder ruptured. Stupid and foolish, but hey, young people are like that sometime. > [@Cinnamon\_Imp](#): > > I wasn’t being a teenage petulant arse anymore. I see what you did there… And thanks to everyone for confirming that the OP really is a sad, immature, manipulative jerk who leverages his disability to the point of literally PEEING HIS PANTS when he doesn’t get his way. Unless there’s some additional developmental disorder that hasn’t been talked about, clearly there’s no reason for anyone to feel sympathy for the OP anymore. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-my-dad-for-unironically-pointing-out-that-he-retired-at-50-and-that-at-36-ive-never-worked/682738.md?page=7)