LMH Y

Other than beginning in medias res and the plethora of flashbacks, (I prefer chronological and zero flashbacks), I thought this was a unique and inspiring movie! There are few, if any, modern-day memoirs that have been made into movies, especially one in which so many viewers will find relatable and inspiring! J.D. Vance overcame a litany of obstacles because he refused to settle and was determined to make a good life for himself. Poverty, being overweight & bullied, being abandoned by his father, and seeing his own mother overdose on drugs several times, could have made him give up on life, or at the very least, taken him down a very dark path from which he may never have escaped. J.D. chose another direction, to stay strong, focused, principled, and refuse to see himself as a victim! His success is attributed to being intentional, relying on his faith and core values knowing they would take him out of despair and into a joyful life. He continued to challenge himself and refused to give up, regardless of the hurdles along the way; no matter how poor, how frustrated, how disappointed, how scared, how tired, how abandoned, how lonely, how hurt, or how helpless, he must have felt, J.D. didn't act like a victim, overcame his hardships, and persevered! I hope all who read the book, or watch the movie, will be uplifted, and motivated to achieve. There's so much "victimhood" in the U.S. today (begging the question- if "everyone is a victim" of something or other, is anyone really a victim)? It's time we stop feeling sorry for ourselves and being the architects of our own demise, (no matter how much the corrupt politicians and media try to indoctrinate us--welcome to American Maoism). We should all be inspired by J.D. and do what he did, work hard to improve our own lives and be accountable.