Sacrificed a year, missed three better gigs.

That's both awesome and kind of sad at the same time. So much perfectly good stuff gets tossed out every day. What a waste.

Wait a month for an envelope? That's actually wild to me. I can't imagine running a business now where your money is just floating around in the mail system for that long. My buddy's bakery still does checks for some wholesale orders and he's constantly stressed about it. Going all digital seems like the only sane move these days.

Just make sure it's high-temp anti-seize for exhausts.

You're not wrong about the resentment thing. My cousin was forced into piano lessons for ten years and now she gets tense just walking past a music store. Some parents get way too into their kid being a mini version of their own failed dreams. Like, sorry Brenda, maybe little Timmy doesn't want to be your living trophy for junior soccer. Forced hobbies just create adults who need therapy to figure out what they actually like.