@Michael2Wolves - you are very intuitive, as well as a realist. But I don't think your perspective on the crowd's cheering is accurate. I think the crowd would cheer you on should you improve on any area of your life, and actually take time to self-care, take meaningful risks to step a little outside your realist comfort zone, etc. You certainly have a talent for writing and a stronger vocabulary base than I do. I published a paper - by mere chance though, but I truly am a weak writer. I also have performance anxiety when it comes to writing, and I'm not sure that I have the energy to overcome that.

My T says that there are veterans who have felonies in the past, who eventually find some meaningful career - and sometimes working in government again. They don't have security clearances, or very minimal clearances if they are offered such positions, but they are able to get their lives back. There are also prison-pipeline programs that help some rehabilitate. But that's not offered to all persons, and mental illness remains stigmatized in that arena, unfortunately. I once studied criminal justice and worked with a professor who holds a Ph.D. She was able to get her position after her prison time. She now teaches at a university. It's not the best university, but it's still a decent job. She doesn't have many publications, and she does more qualitative work, but she fulfilled one of her dreams.

It's not impossible to strive for a dream, but it is getting harder and harder these days.

This pandemic has brought out the worst in people, so competition has increased.

I'd like to see you happy and excelling in life.

I don't like how felonies carry no forgiveness and very little restorative justice. I wished that society would offer a restoration of privileges as a second chance, or even third.