I program for a living, but was having trouble, like, with multiplying fractions and that basic level. But it's not hard to learn if you do it every day.
I mean, it's slow going, and I am certain that there are folks who think that integrals are pretty basic math, but its fun and interesting to me, and derivatives have helped me understand quite a few things I never quite groked already.
I took a silly path and spent all my 20s in school, largely working on a PhD in English while I raised my kids.
"silly path"? What exactly did you miss out on? Raising children is one of life's great joys. Working towards an English PhD (regardless of whether you obtained one), provides a unique experience that many dream of.
Would you trade that for a few extra years of a larger salary at a tech company? Sure, maybe you would be making 20% more now, but would that give you a significantly different life? It sounds like you used your time as a "CS dropout" wisely, or at least productively.
I'm more concerned for folks who drop out of unnecessarily challenging technical degrees and end up working at fast food shops for ten years, when they can be doing something far more gratifying and lucrative.
It hasn't been until the last couple of years that my undergrad degree in Philosophy started to pay off.
But yeah, it's not a bad life.
And you're right about CS education, in general.