I know about the ball and chain. It was an amazing time once that was cut off. First, a whole pile of unlearning, seeing through stuff we'd taken on board with no good reason, just soaked it up from the people around us - mostly premies and hippies. So, a lot to undo! And then, an explosion of learning overwhelmed the whole family.
I quit painting and decorating, and learned programming. I was lucky in what I chose to learn, as I found myself on the crest of an IT wave, and within a couple of years, I was teaching it at Exeter uni. Turns out, I'm the thick one in the family.
My wife had a business idea, and wrote a leaflet to promote it. She gave it to me to print. And it was all one sentence. Like Ulysses, but without the literary merit. It was a shock to realise she was virtually illiterate! How could I have not known, after 2-3 years? Anyway, one course quickly followed another and she ended up with 2 masters degrees with distinctions, and is considering doing a Ph.D when she's finished her book.
It swallowed the kids up too, and it hasn't let up to this day. They're doing great, but I'm too proud to allow myself loose on that one.
So yes, it was a great release to leave the cult. Such a mind-numbing experience. Hard to evaluate what was missed, as it's gone, and I was too numb to notice.
I really do think there's a problem. I think net zero has no chance of being implemented. It would impoverish the population. As will not mitigating the problem, so, it looks like lose-lose to me, so far as the economy goes.
So we'll see. Hopefully not this year. Have a good one.
