Fadil
New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
43%
- May 16, 2024
- 7
- 3
I'm in my late teens and work as a door-to-door milk salesman for my father. We have a dairy farm, and I help him every day for no profit, working almost six hours a day. I recently graduated from high school, and my life is extremely hectic. My father lost his job abroad due to some issues and started this dairy farm as a new venture. However, the farm is high-risk and yields very little profit. He built the farm in the center of our neighborhood, so not a week goes by without a complaint. If any of our laborers leave, it becomes even more problematic. He can't invest more in this venture because he's already buried under a mountain of debt.
I have to leave school immediately to get home and sell milk. I don't see my friends, I don't hang out with them, and we never go on vacations—not even to the nearby beach. Every day is a workday for me; I don't have the typical 5-2, but rather a 7-0 schedule unless there's a hospital case or a close relative's function. I can count the days I've taken off from work.
Throughout this journey, my mental health has suffered greatly. I've even had suicidal thoughts because I feel like I missed out on my teenage years. I had to maintain my academics alongside all of this.
While my friends post pictures of gatherings on Instagram, I'm just sitting at home, watching. My temper has increased, and I've become an angry person, often complaining to my father and family about everything.
When people ask me what my father would do if I left home to join college, I have no answer. I don't know what he would do. My father and family now say I need to go to college, that it's the only way we'll escape this difficult situation. But I still don't know what he will do if he forces me to join a college.
One of our customers once asked me, "How will you get a woman? When they ask what you do, you'll have to say you're a milkboy."
My family is seriously suffering from illness, and half of our paycheck goes to medical bills. Most days, there are arguments about money, so I don't ask my father for money unnecessarily because I don't want to hear another lecture.
Despite the negative aspects, I've learned a lot from this process. I was a sad and depressed guy, but I learned to find happiness. I learned to communicate with people and have lots of stories just from asking questions like "how," "when," and "why." I see many kids every day, which makes me happy and energetic. I started to productively manage my day and develop stoicism in everyday life. Even though I don't go on vacations or hang out with friends, I'm still happy.
I'm still in this repeated schedule, and inshallah, I hope everything will change.
I have to leave school immediately to get home and sell milk. I don't see my friends, I don't hang out with them, and we never go on vacations—not even to the nearby beach. Every day is a workday for me; I don't have the typical 5-2, but rather a 7-0 schedule unless there's a hospital case or a close relative's function. I can count the days I've taken off from work.
Throughout this journey, my mental health has suffered greatly. I've even had suicidal thoughts because I feel like I missed out on my teenage years. I had to maintain my academics alongside all of this.
While my friends post pictures of gatherings on Instagram, I'm just sitting at home, watching. My temper has increased, and I've become an angry person, often complaining to my father and family about everything.
When people ask me what my father would do if I left home to join college, I have no answer. I don't know what he would do. My father and family now say I need to go to college, that it's the only way we'll escape this difficult situation. But I still don't know what he will do if he forces me to join a college.
One of our customers once asked me, "How will you get a woman? When they ask what you do, you'll have to say you're a milkboy."
My family is seriously suffering from illness, and half of our paycheck goes to medical bills. Most days, there are arguments about money, so I don't ask my father for money unnecessarily because I don't want to hear another lecture.
Despite the negative aspects, I've learned a lot from this process. I was a sad and depressed guy, but I learned to find happiness. I learned to communicate with people and have lots of stories just from asking questions like "how," "when," and "why." I see many kids every day, which makes me happy and energetic. I started to productively manage my day and develop stoicism in everyday life. Even though I don't go on vacations or hang out with friends, I'm still happy.
I'm still in this repeated schedule, and inshallah, I hope everything will change.
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum:
Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.