I was just a little more innocent than my acquaintances. Philosophy has a way of explaining itself. During these years I concentrated on discovering who I was and what life was really about. So in the end we were on a more equal footing financially, meaning we were all broke, but at least I already knew who I was and understood the meaning of life. It's something to ponder.
Life is full of conundrums.
So, in the end, this is how I came to be a part-time mad scientist, which is really just another way of saying that one is a young wizard. A magician is someone who waves a wand, and creates the illusion of lightning. While a wizard is someone who studies lightning, and waves a stick just before it strikes. We all appear the same to the viewer, but the first two are charlatans of their own sort, while a wizard is a charlatan with a sense of humor.