I am a baby boomer and often young people say you had it easy...

I am a baby boomer and often young people say you had it easy and when I tell our story they are in disbelief ,17% interest rates,10% unemployment and 12% inflation not to mention being all but wiped out in 1987 and they have the cheek to call us lucky and privileged.
I call it the school of hard knocks when I lost money it was always my fault and usually because I did not do the research ,my first house was a renovators special over 25 years and then interest rates hit 17% we were only taking $1 a fortnight of the principle,it is only hard times that make people financially smart you can read lots but when you get waked is when you learn.