Completely agree with you modoc, I worked for JUST over minimum wage in a family owned business when I was 17-23 before interviewing for an entry level support position with my current company. I was a run of the mill PC tech who got paid hardly anything at the time (had two kids & wife to support as well) and I never felt I was having a hard time "making it", dare I say, I was happy.
I worked hard, picked up programming, and spent nights/spare time working on a program for our branch office, with the intention that I wanted to move up to corporate and be a full time programmer.
I busted my tail working, stayed motivated, gained experience, and when the app I wrote for our branch made it into the right hands (this was also planned, just had to wait for the timing to be right) they 'apprenticed me' into a .NET position, on the notion that I showed the right character to be a good employee and worked hard. That was several raises ago, and I'm still moving and improving, and getting serious real world experience in the field I want to make a career out of.
I grew up watching my Dad work 10-12 hour days at a company we owned, I was fortunate enough to have parents who always pushed us to achieve anything we wanted (and modest enough to never make us feel like we were anything more than middle class, there was money there, but instead of taking it for our pleasure, my father would reward employees and let it stay as profits for the business).
When I left the nest, I severed all financial ties with them to make it on my own, with my own independence. So I wasn't driving a car paid by them, or using a cell phone paid by them, or any of that.
The reason I got the first PC tech job even though I had a recreational tech history of computers and 5+ years of graphic/web design experience? Because I interviewed well and my former boss saw potential.
The world is full of opportunities for everyone, just look at the examples here. Such a wide range of people with different stories and experiences.
College is great, but I don't regret not going. I learned growing up how to teach myself through reading, research and practice, and I learn things faster that way.