I didn't do well at school. I served in the military for 22 years and worked in Civil Service after that until my meltdown in 2012. Since then I've struggled and it weren't for disability I would be homeless by now.

It sucked because I was almost at a 6-figure paycheck, married a sweetheart of a man, and thought I stopped the MI whirligig.

Even now with 1 ½ years of stability there was no way I can go back and do that job. I have to go to an entry-level job, and despite my decorated career I couldn't complete a college degree. I'm going back to school at 52 to complete another Associate's (my first degree can be used as something to start a fire). I don't even have the GI Bill so it's all out of pocket.

But I know my life is worth living. I have a Web site with a few followers and people like my poetry. I can laugh and smile with my family. My daughter is also going to school and working part-time. My husband has also "retired" (he has MS and can't do stressful work). If I offed myself my family would be really devastated.

So to answer your question--yes you can reinvent yourself, reinvent your life, create a new normal for yourself. Don't compare yourself to anybody. Figure out what you want to do with your life, what makes you happy. Go from there.