Me. Me, Me
Writing is a never-ending challenge and especially writing about oneself. I find it much harder than creating characters from one's imagination.
With her imagination a writer can control the character and the twist and turns of the character's life within the story and back-story you have created for her.
As we go about our business on this planet, unfortunately, as we all know, we have little control of our own story. They say life is sometimes stranger than fiction, and that is what makes it often too hard to put on paper.
On the other hand, reading stories about people's lives often helps us with our own life. Sometimes we feel isolated within our pain and problems and our joys. Knowing we share a common bond of universal trials in life with others while we are here, sometimes makes it easier to identify, realizing we are not aliens walking alone in our misery.
It is easy to think that you are the only one who is having your problem. It is easy to think that nothing you do ever is simple but always filled with complications. Well, please join the human race. Even when you think of that one person that you know, really cross-your-heart know has a perfect, enviable life... it just isn't so.
No one in this life gets a trouble-free pass from beginning to end. It is our ability to 'roll with the punches' and intelligently try to make decisions to help our situation get better that saves us. Don't worry about your neighbor's life. I bet there are things he/she could really tell you that will make your hair stand on end.