Hillbilly Elegy

thanks at least in part to the old-age
benefits that Mamaw generously shared
with me. These programs are far from
perfect, but to the degree that I nearly
succumbed to my worst decisions (and I
came quite close), the fault lies almost
entirely with factors outside the
government’s control.
Recently, I sat down with a group of
teachers from my alma mater,
Middletown High. All of them expressed
the worry, in one form or another, that
society devoted too many resources too
late in the game. “It’s like our politicians
think college is the only way,” one
teacher told me. “For many, it’s great.
But a lot of our kids have no realistic