I'm glad you took my comment in the spirit it was offered. Jordan did jump in with both feet. I think he was struck, as was I, with how prominent Nathaniel was (well, I had to look him up:). Like many people, we tend to associate fame with wealth, though that obviously isn't always the case.

Of course, he deserved some push back. I just wanted to take the opportunity to point out that it's not just men who think that way. Implicit in woman's question was opposition to my friend's success. Being forced to pay back benefits would have kept her on the poverty line forever.

You should not have to expend the resources to track down deadbeats. I'm glad the state did that (though I guess with as much fiduciary success as with my friend's ex).

I remember when my son was little, during the early 90s recession, I was driving a cab in LA to make ends meet. At LAX I meet another guy, young, he tells me he has a kid he's never seen. Wife/ex/whatever won't let him. He's not involved at all.

"Oh, that's terrible!" I say, honestly horrified.

"Oh, that doesn't matter," he says. "Someday the kid'll want to know who his daddy is."

Yeah. No. It's not automatic. Make no effort. Get no return.

I'm actually in a similar situation myself.

I'll spare you the details.

Your son's right.