I don’t think shame is the obstacle; it’s that for many, a break like this is financially straining or outright impossible.

That is a fair point.

That is a lot like saying that a college degree is financially straining or outright impossible. In many respects, developing open source is a lot less straining, as there are no large fees, with the main expenses being living expenses. This is why it's important to live far below one's means when one does have a job.