They're the only reason I've gotten as far as I have, that's for sure. Which is not as far as I would ideally like, but still alive and independent in spite of all the BS. (And about to go sign the papers that will give me possession of an awesome car that I shouldn't have been able to afford given my salary and financial position, but. Intelligence = budgeting and tweaking said budget. Persistence = bargaining and refusing to give in to the easy answers.)