How about this, I'm 30 and with the expectation of putting myself through college. Pay as I went, it took 6 years starting when I was 22, I made shitty life decisions until I was 28. In just two years of smart decisions my life has greatly improved 100 fold. Although, I always had a job and never bitched about other people who had it better either. I just wasn't applying myself like I could have been.
All the "it's bullshit, you're lucky, you've never had to work, etc" comes from people who feel entitled to prosper, you know equal opportunity, equal outcome.
I'm in a similar position, well said.