# Describe Your Childhood



## Keesha (Oct 6, 2019)

What was your childhood like?
Did you like school ?
Did you  have many friends?
What types of things did you like to do?
Do you view your childhood fondly?

My childhood was memorable to me. 
For the most part, I liked school , did well and had plenty of friends. There were always lots of things to do when we were kids. If I wanted to hang out with a group of friends, it was easy but there was also lots to do solo. 

Even as I kid I liked walking. One of my favourite places to walk was down the railroad tracks. The smell of hot tar feels familiar. My life consisted of a good balance between school, playing with friends and personal hobbies. Most of it I think of with fondness. 

How about you?


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## RadishRose (Oct 6, 2019)

Forgive me, but I'm not into this topic. Not ignoring you Keesha, just not going there. I'll just say it was partial.


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## jujube (Oct 6, 2019)

Pretty darn good, I'll have to admit.

Not much money, but a lot of love.  Very involved parents, but on the other hand, pretty free-range before free-range became popular.

I can't complain.  Oh, I did a lot of complaining but there wasn't much substance to it.....


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## treeguy64 (Oct 6, 2019)

My childhood was mostly happy. I was an aggressive kid, had many friends, did well in school, had lots of hobbies, good pets. I saw a few very scary things at a young age, things I vividly remember, still, yet I apparently was hardwired to shake the effects of such possibly traumatizing episodes off, and stay happy. I sang for public gatherings at a young age, became a ham, enjoyed the spotlight, early on. Once I started my first successful band, at around 11,12, my future as a working musician was set, with scores of non-music side jobs thrown in, along the way. I loved my family, made sure I reached out to them when I felt any distance between us. Few regrets. 

On the issue of Nurture vs. Nature, I think both play a part, but one's genetics more strongly sets one's course in life, as I see it.


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## Keesha (Oct 6, 2019)

RadishRose said:


> Forgive me, but I'm not into this topic. Not ignoring you Keesha, just not going there. I'll just say it was partial.


No need apologizing my friend. 
There are parts of mine I choose my best to ignore as best as I can . My husband says I wear pink coloured sunglasses for all the other parts but it is what it is. Much respect


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## Keesha (Oct 6, 2019)

jujube said:


> Pretty darn good, I'll have to admit.
> 
> Not much money, but a lot of love.  Very involved parents, but on the other hand, pretty free-range before free-range became popular.
> 
> I can't complain.  Oh, I did a lot of complaining but there wasn't much substance to it.....



It would seem that being loved is more important than being materialistically spoiled. 
I really like how you describe your parenting experience. Free range.lol  That’s cute.


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## chic (Oct 6, 2019)

I enjoyed public school but hated being sent to parochial school which felt like the military except with lots of religion. I hated it so much I believe my brain made my body sick frequently so I could stay home from school. I was a sensitive kid and enjoyed animals more than people and was always bringing home a stray this or injured that. Back to public school by Jr. high and I enjoyed the freedom immensely. I was more social, had lots of friends, parties, and good times. My health was so much better because I was happier. I became less of a tomboy and more of a fashionista. My girlfriends were the same and we had fun with it. Childhood was a mixed bag of memories.


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## Keesha (Oct 6, 2019)

treeguy64 said:


> My childhood was mostly happy. I was an aggressive kid, had many friends, did well in school, had lots of hobbies, good pets. I saw a few very scary things at a young age, things I vividly remember, still, yet I apparently was hardwired to shake the effects of such possibly traumatizing episodes off, and stay happy. I sang for public gatherings at a young age, became a ham, enjoyed the spotlight, early on. Once I started my first successful band, at around 11,12, my future as a working musician was set, with scores of non-music side jobs thrown in, along the way. I loved my family, made sure I reached out to them when I felt any distance between us. Few regrets.
> 
> On the issue of Nurture vs. Nature, I think both play a part, but one's genetics more strongly sets one's course in life, as I see it.


Did you find that you could escape through your music when you were you. It was such a good distraction for me and perhaps still is. 
Did you take music in high school and if so what did you play?


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## Keesha (Oct 6, 2019)

chic said:


> I enjoyed public school but hated being sent to parochial school which felt like the military except with lots of religion. I hated it so much I believe my brain made my body sick frequently so I could stay home from school. I was a sensitive kid and enjoyed animals more than people and was always bringing home a stray this or injured that. Back to public school by Jr. high and I enjoyed the freedom immensely. I was more social, had lots of friends, parties, and good times. My health was so much better because I was happier. I became less of a tomboy and more of a fashionista. My girlfriends were the same and we had fun with it. Childhood was a mixed bag of memories.



A bittersweet childhood. Yes. 
When I was young I had a friend who went to Catholic school and they were really strict. They had to wear and uniform and they were so many rules. She hated it also.


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## treeguy64 (Oct 6, 2019)

Keesha said:


> Did you find that you could escape through your music when you were you. It was such a good distraction for me and perhaps still is.
> Did you take music in high school and if so what did you play?


I found that I could hustle girls, very effectively, from the stage. In truth, that was about half the allure with the biz. The other half was making great music, and seeing how crowds got up and danced and had fun at our gigs. 

I played trumpet, in elementary school. Played in the band. Couldn't sing while playing, heard The Beatles and Stones on Ed Sullivan, got into bass guitar, met my first rhythm guitarist, and that set me on the path!


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## hollydolly (Oct 7, 2019)

Horrendous abusive childhood, no need to say any more. !!


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## chic (Oct 7, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> Horrendous abusive childhood, no need to say any more. !!



You survived and luv your new avvie dear. Pure sunshine.


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## hollydolly (Oct 7, 2019)

chic said:


> You survived and luv your new avvie dear. Pure sunshine.


Yes I did Chic.. only by Gods' grace..but I have both physical and mental scars  to remind me unfortunately.

Pleased you like my avatar


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## chic (Oct 7, 2019)

Keesha said:


> A bittersweet childhood. Yes.
> When I was young I had a friend who went to Catholic school and they were really strict. They had to wear and uniform and they were so many rules. She hated it also.



Oh yes, the hideous uniform. They wanted a uniform mentality also - no individualists allowed to flourish and that was the real killer. They just went about trying to destroy the ego. In 6 year olds! It's one thing when adults join the military, but we were just little kids with no say in the matter and no way out unless your parents let you leave or you got yourself expelled. I wish I had thought of the latter.


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> Horrendous abusive childhood, no need to say any more. !!


Yes mine was also which was more reason for me to find enjoyment elsewhere whenever or wherever I could and oddly enough they did provide material things which helped  me escape


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## toffee (Oct 7, 2019)

mine was ok =I spent most of it outside the home ' playing with lots of kids from the roads =on a bike or go skating in London,
going to the parks - messing in general =pictures Saturday morning with my school mates ...then sometimes we go to big street market either with my mother of friends , I always had friends never without them ' walked to school no car for rides then ' but a different story in the home =my father ws a awful person he was in the army ' and treated us the same - so one by one we got out soon as possible ……….


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

We walked 4 miles everyday walking to and from school which I’m grateful for . I think that walking did a world of good for me mentally and emotionally. Walking for me became my therapy.


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

I’m sorry for all those who were abused. 
It’s a horrible thing to have to deal with.


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## hollydolly (Oct 7, 2019)

Yes we wore school uniform, and yes we also walked 2 miles each way to school also ...all weathers....when I was living with my parents I usually had to wear shoes with holes in the soles, which not only let the water in, but destroyed my socks. When I lived in the foster homes, at least I was given decent shoes.

It's funny that some of you mention the school uniform. I remember my Canadian relatives coming over and saying how they wish their kids needed to wear it, because  my aunt and uncle had a heckava expensive  time keeping up with the latest fashions for my cousins to wear at school.

Today school uniform is still,  de rigueur in British  schools..


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## Capt Lightning (Oct 7, 2019)

I get a bit puzzled by the term 'public school'.  In the UK, "public school" is ironically private.  It generally refers to a number of long established fee paying schools that provided high class education for the children of wealthy parents.  Prominent among those schools are ones like Eton, Harrow, Winchester, Repton etc..  Today these schools try to include talented pupils from all backgrounds by means of subsidised fees, grants etc..

For 'ordinary' folk, we go to 'state school' and here the standard of education is very much a lottery.  When I were a lad, 60 odd years ago, it didn't seem to be so much of an issue. You went to the local 'primary' school from age 5 till 11, sat your 11+ exam and that determined the type of secondary education that you had till age 16 or 18.

I was pretty bright, but lazy.  I was fast-tracked, so was one of the youngest pupils in my form and I found school was easy until near the end when I realised that you had to work at it, and that didn't suit me.

At home my parents were what today would be called 'abusive' , but in the 50's and 60's were just considered 'strict', and that was quite normal.  Their word was law, and I was an 'outlaw'!  It was always, what would people think of us if you did....?  I came to live in a sort of uneasy truce with them.  Later I came to feel that under her stoical  shell, mother was insecure and felt that life had dealt her a bad hand.  If you looked in a dictionary for the word "unambitious", you would find my father's name.

Surprisingly (or maybe not) my brother, sister and myself all led successful (though varied) lives.


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

Here in Canada all schools were public schools except for the Catholic ones which were privately funded. I’m not sure quite why but that’s how it was and perhaps still is. I wonder why other religions didn’t get their  own schools but then I’d be going into politics I’m sure.


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## hollydolly (Oct 7, 2019)

We have Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish schools...

When I was at school, the catholics and protestant school always fought each other..


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

hollydolly said:


> We have Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish schools...
> 
> When I was at school, the catholics and protestant school always fought each other..


Actually this is an area I don’t know much about so I did a quick research and apparently we have Protestant, Catholic, Islamic and Jewish school systems. 

I think it was the same here Holly but I never paid much attention to it. My girlfriend often would say that they were hated for being special. In other words because she went to a private catholic school she was hated. 

Looking back I do remember one year where there was a huge schoolyard brawl injuring several students and the police were called. It was a huge ordeal. At the time I was in my own little world though but I know it upset my friend quite a bit. Enough that she asked me to go to her school and walk around with her on the weekend. There were lots of broken windows all taped up. 

It did make me aware that everyone’s got their own stories to tell of the daily struggles they face.


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## treeguy64 (Oct 7, 2019)

Keesha said:


> We walked 4 miles everyday walking to and from school which I’m grateful for . I think that walking did a world of good for me mentally and emotionally. Walking for me became my therapy.


I also walked four miles a day, back and forth, from school. I came home, for lunch, then went back. I let myself into our flat, made my own lunch, as my mom was at work, and then went back to school. During those times that I made my own lunch, from about eight years of age, on, the seeds were planted for my becoming the gustatorial adventurer I turned into, later.

I am saddened by our world, today, where parents are too scared to let their children walk to school, and must drive them, even short distances. Even sadder, those fears are often justified. What have we become, my friends? Where is this world heading?


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

treeguy64 said:


> I also walked four miles a day, back and forth, from school. I came home, for lunch, then went back. I let myself into our flat, made my own lunch, as my mom was at work, and then went back to school. During those times that I made my own lunch, from about eight years of age, on, the seeds were planted for my becoming the gustatorial adventurer I turned into, later.


That’s just how it was for us. Our parents worked so we each had our own key. We walked home, made our own lunch and walked back. We were later referred to as ‘latch key’ kids but from my perspective, there were more pros than cons. 
The freedom it offered was awesome. 
In many ways, I was spoiled.


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## Capt Lightning (Oct 7, 2019)

My children all went to the local C of E school.
They said that the only religious element was for the Rev. Pincent to visit once a year to 'put the fear of god' into them.  (Rev. Pincent was vicar of the local church - Holy Trinity in Blendworth, and was father of the Olympic gold medal rower, Mathew Pincent).
I seem to recall something similar in my own childhood schooldays. (Rev. Stewart??)


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

Capt Lightning said:


> They said that the only religious element was for the Rev. Pincent to visit once a year to 'put the fear of god' into them.



Just my opinion but THIS^^^^^ in itself is a sin. 
Children are at such an impressionable age that scaring them in order to teach them something doesn’t have noteworthy results. It seemed to have created many fearful, anxious, resentful students who grew up fearful, anxious and resentful. My friend was terrified of some of her teachers; to the point that she didn’t want to go


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## TravelinMan (Oct 7, 2019)

I remember my childhood as being good.  I attended parochial school for almost all of my education and, since the student body was rather small, I always seemed to have plenty of friends and I liked it.  But as a late bloomer, the first couple of years of high school were a bit tough.  Being male and small was a challenge but by my Junior and Senior years I had gotten to be a bit bigger and seemed to fit in better.  Some of my best friendships in life were from those years.

I had good parents.  My mother was the nurturer and my father was strict, what I now realize means he bordered on being abusive.  That led me become rebellious and gave me some baggage I still struggle with to this day.  But, from what I hear from others, I could have had had worse.  My parents were good providers.

Living on the outskirts of town I remember almost always playing outside and riding my bicycle.  I usually could find a neighbor or invite a school chum over to play with.  I have 2 older brothers that were either my best friends or worst enemies.  Life then was fluid.

Looking back, I see that I was not really an achiever but managed to learn enough in school to ensure that I could find an enjoyable career that carried me through my working days.  I guess you might peg me as pretty average for my generation.


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## Fyrefox (Oct 7, 2019)

I had a happy childhood but a painful adolescence; my mother was a controlling narcissist who didn't like me developing a mind and direction of my own.  Although I was a good student, it would have been preferred that I was athletic and popular, and I was neither...but two others from my graduating high school class with those traits attended the same university that I did, and I alone survived there!


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## Gary O' (Oct 7, 2019)

_A snippet of our ragtag country neighborhood;_

Kids today seem to be having their imagination taken away from them, and given somebody else’s.

Got a 7 year old grandson that had a PS3 plugged to his wrist.

The lad was developing bad sleep habits.

His eyes had a continuous peevish look.

I get up at 3:30am weekdays, and a couple times when they stayed over, I’d see a flickering grey/bright light coming from underneath the door to the spare bedroom.

Cracked the door.

There he’d be, thumbs flittering at Mach II…..glazed eyes locked on the screen.

I surgically removed the controller from his hands, unplugging the umbilical cord to the box.

He threw a little fit and fell over in a twitching heap.

PS3 has mysteriously disappeared, replaced by my football, basketball, his now repaired bike, bugs in jars, and a myriad of wood scrap projects from my shop….and the summer pool.

If continued, I’m sure I would have looked in on him one morning and he’d be in the monitor, shooting bad guys and eventually getting zapped himself….

Back in the 50’s we relied heavily on our imaginations.

The converted broom factory we lived in yielded a pile of broom sticks.

These overgrown dowels easily became horses, swords, weapons of Little John of Sherwood Forest, and the prize creation of a carbine….wire two together and nail on a slab of wood and you could start pickin’ off bad guys….sure wish we’d had access to duct tape back then….

There were a dozen or so kids in our country neighborhood, and we all played together, ‘cept that time my big sister and Dennis Blickenson locked me in the garden shed most of one afternoon….still wonder what they were doin’……

However, generally we played with whatever was available……old tires, once flipped over a half dozen times to slosh out all the water, would roll all over tarnation and could be propelled by a piece of broom stick.

‘Course there were mud pies ‘n cakes created by our culinary experts Bessie and my sister.

Had a bite of their shiny pie once….pretty much the same experience I had when Gramma gave me a spoon of unsweetened chocolate….

One time at hilltop, we were all gathered at the flat part of the country lane (paved no less) where most the population lined their hovels…pardon…homes. A few visitors joined us, kids everwhere, pushin’ tires, ridin’ bikes, havin’ pine cone wars, chasin’ dogs, dogs chasin’ bikes, when the action lulled.



We seemed to naturly migrate together, cause Daryl was exercisin’ his jaw with a piece of bubble gum, and unfolding the comic. We all peered over his shoulder and listened to him haltingly read the mini episode of Bazooka Joe.

You know those childhood moments that you still vividly recall?

Well, as I peered over the shoulder of one of the visiting girls I noticed something a bit horrific. She was missing most of her ear! I looked around, and noticed another visiting kid missing one of his ears.

Then I just stopped thinking about missing ears, ‘cause one of the visiting kids had dug a chunk of melted road tar out of the pavement and started chewing it….now everyone was gathered around him, then we all dug out our own chunks….nobody mentioned how awful it tasted, and we chawed on our chunks most of the afternoon…..seems road tar retains its flavor long after Bazooka gets that gawdawful saliva saturated insipid wad taste.

Thinkin’ about it all a few years later, I remember getting a glimpse of Bessie Dodge’s ear one time (or where her ear shoulda been) when her hair was pulled back, and she too was missing most of it.

Kinda thru me off, ‘cause, even though she was my sister’s best friend, I had a crush on her, even before I knew what crushes were. But the thing that came to mind was the visiting kids. I put two and two together and came to the thought that they were all visiting the Dodges, ‘cause Bessie had a bit of a handicap and they did too…..7 year olds really start coming into realization of things if PS3s aren’t around….

Right about now if you are thinking, ‘I just read this and seem to be missing the point’, well then it’s just not for you, is it.

For everyone else, parents/grandparents, unite! The road’s gettin’ hot!


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## JustBonee (Oct 7, 2019)

Happy!  ...   my childhood was wonderful.   I grew up on my grandparents farm,   and it was a life full of animals and fun and family. 
School was great in the small country town that I grew up in.   .. You could be involved in as many activities as you wanted back then.   Life was good.


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## Aunt Bea (Oct 7, 2019)

My second childhood has been so much nicer than the first!


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## Sassycakes (Oct 7, 2019)

*I was very lucky to have had a Wonderful childhood. My parents always put their children first in everything. I was the youngest of 3 children. My Brother was 13yrs older than me and my sister was 2 years older than me. I went to Catholic school and was afraid of the Nun's ,but so were many of the kids in my school. I was lucky to have great friends and we all spent a lot of time together. I am still very friendly with most of them that are still with us. My brother had his first child when I was only 7yrs old. So then I became an Aunt to a wonderful boy, who lived with us until he was 5yrs old. Oh how I miss those days.*


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

Aunt Bea said:


> My second childhood has been so much nicer than the first!


My sentiments exactly. 
My childhood NOW totally ROCKS !!!


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## Trade (Oct 7, 2019)

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"


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## chic (Oct 7, 2019)

Sassycakes said:


> *I was very lucky to have had a Wonderful childhood. My parents always put their children first in everything. I was the youngest of 3 children. My Brother was 13yrs older than me and my sister was 2 years older than me. I went to Catholic school and was afraid of the Nun's ,but so were many of the kids in my school. I was lucky to have great friends and we all spent a lot of time together. I am still very friendly with most of them that are still with us. My brother had his first child when I was only 7yrs old. So then I became an Aunt to a wonderful boy, who lived with us until he was 5yrs old. Oh how I miss those days.*



Sassy, didn't you hate being hit by the nuns? (One of the differences in America between parochial Catholic school and public school was that in Catholic school teachers could hit and beat the students physically. If a public school teacher hit a student they would lose their job at the very least.) I was always a quiet obedient kid and had never been beaten til I was sent to parochial school. To this day I don't understand it. And it instilled within me psychological flight mechanisms that I struggle with even now.  It's been a life long problem.

Thank heavens high school and junior high was a blast.


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## Sassycakes (Oct 7, 2019)

chic said:


> Sassy, didn't you hate being hit by the nuns? (One of the differences in America between parochial Catholic school and public school was that in Catholic school teachers could hit and beat the students physically. If a public school teacher hit a student they would lose their job at the very least.) I was always a quiet obedient kid and had never been beaten til I was sent to parochial school. To this day I don't understand it. And it instilled within me psychological flight mechanisms that I struggle with even now.  It's been a life long problem.
> 
> Thank heavens high school and junior high was a blast.



*It's unbelievable what the Nun's were allowed to get away with. Luckily I was never hit by a Nun but one time a Nun did throw me out of my desk and I landed on the floor. She said "Oh I meant to pull the girl behind you". No apology for what she did and no helping me get up off the floor. Most kids were afraid to tell their parents because they felt their parents would side with the Nun. I didn't tell my parents because I knew they would be furious at the Nun and in the long run the Nun would never get punished.*


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## Grampa Don (Oct 7, 2019)

I don't think you would want to read my life story, but I have fond memories of my childhood.  I grew up in the 40's and 50's in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles.  We didn't have much money, but my parents always did the best they could for my brother and me.  I didn't hate school, but I didn't love it either.  It was just something you had to do, and I was just average.  I had good playmates including my future wife.

Don


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## hollydolly (Oct 7, 2019)

Capt Lightning said:


> My children all went to the local C of E school.
> They said that the only religious element was for the Rev. Pincent to visit once a year to 'put the fear of god' into them.  (Rev. Pincent was vicar of the local church - Holy Trinity in Blendworth, and was father of the Olympic gold medal rower, Mathew Pincent).
> I seem to recall something similar in my own childhood schooldays. (Rev. Stewart??)


 WE had a 45 minute period of religious education 5 days a week !!

Interesting  Addendum tho'  about your kids Rev, being Mathew Pincent's father..


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## Pepper (Oct 7, 2019)

Always wished I were an only child.  Always thought if my older sister weren't there we would be rich, live in a huge Manhattan luxury apartment and our neighbor would be Leonard Bernstein.


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## win231 (Oct 7, 2019)

Well, we can't pick our parents.
My parents (especially my mother who was a raging witch) taught me what type of person NOT to be by her example.  I became a pretty decent person in spite of....not because of my upbringing.


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

chic said:


> Sassy, didn't you hate being hit by the nuns? (One of the differences in America between parochial Catholic school and public school was that in Catholic school teachers could hit and beat the students physically. If a public school teacher hit a student they would lose their job at the very least.) I was always a quiet obedient kid and had never been beaten til I was sent to parochial school. To this day I don't understand it. And it instilled within me psychological flight mechanisms that I struggle with even now.  It's been a life long problem.
> 
> Thank heavens high school and junior high was a blast.



I went to a public school and if kids became disobedient they got the strap but it was typically given at the principals office. 

Some teachers took punishment into their own hands though. One morning we all watched a science teacher completely lose  it on one of his students and use corporal punishment. The teacher never lost his job. 

We had another teacher who used to grab students by their ear and drag them to the front of the class to ridicule them. 

We also once had our history teacher who made us  turn our heads to watch the clock for an hour as punishment. 

None of the teachers lost their jobs. 

My friend had her hands rapped with a ruler by her teachers. Nobody lost their jobs. 

It appeared normal for teachers and principals  to discipline the schools students.


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## treeguy64 (Oct 7, 2019)

Trade said:


> "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"


Well, you still have your head, though!


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## treeguy64 (Oct 7, 2019)

Keesha said:


> I went to a public school and if kids became disobedient they got the trap but it was typically given at the principals office. Some teachers took punishment into their own hands though. One morning we all watched a science teacher completely loose it on one of his students and use corporal punishment. The teacher never lost his job.
> 
> We had another teacher who used to grab students by their ear and drag them to the front of the class to ridicule them.
> 
> ...


We had "The Witch of Bryn Mawr." She taught us in 4th Grade.  She hit kids with rulers, made a girl sit in the waste basket with her gum on her nose, pressed a kid behind a closet door.  She drove one kid to biting pencils in half, while he was bright red in the face, from anger.  She regularly insulted kids, throughout the day. Parents tried to get her fired, but her husband was a lawyer, and he knew his stuff.  I found out she was still alive, at 92!  I wrote her a hate letter, but I'm sure her daughter, whom she lived with, intercepted it.  I was glad to discover she died, at 95. A truly wretched, horrible woman, with no redeeming qualities, other than being an OK teacher, when she wasn't tormenting us.  Yeah, public schools had terrible, sadistic teachers, too.


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

treeguy64 said:


> We had "The Witch of Bryn Mawr." She taught us in 4th Grade.  She hit kids with rulers, made a girl sit in the waste basket with her gum on her nose, pressed a kid behind a closet door.  She drove one kid to biting pencils in half, while he was bright red in the face, from anger.  She regularly insulted kids, throughout the day. Parents tried to get her fired, but her husband was a lawyer, and he knew his stuff.  I found out she was still alive, at 92!  I wrote her a hate letter, but I'm sure her daughter, whom she lived with, intercepted it.  I was glad to discover she died, at 95. A truly wretched, horrible woman, with no redeeming qualities, other than being an OK teacher, when she wasn't tormenting us.  Yeah, public schools had terrible, sadistic teachers, too.



Yes Public schools most certainly had their share of sadistic teachers who took pleasure in abusing children which oddly enough they’d get away with. 
People got away with a lot back then  but luckily I had a good childhood school experience up until high school that is. In fact school was a great distraction from home life. 

Grade 7 & 8 were my best years ever during school life. We got to go on camping trips as well as a trip all the way to Vancouver. We stayed in some of the nicest hotels and took a 747 back. We did a student exchange program with students from Calgary for 2 weeks. During these trips it became clear which teachers did drugs. It was something I kept to myself though and am forever grateful to have had the opportunities.


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## chic (Oct 7, 2019)

Keesha said:


> I went to a public school and if kids became disobedient they got the strap but it was typically given at the principals office.
> 
> Some teachers took punishment into their own hands though. One morning we all watched a science teacher completely lose  it on one of his students and use corporal punishment. The teacher never lost his job.
> 
> ...



Was this in Canada? I knew of a Phys Ed teacher in jr high who roughed up a student and was fired for it. Laws are different, I guess.


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## Keesha (Oct 7, 2019)

chic said:


> Was this in Canada? I knew of a Phys Ed teacher in jr high who roughed up a student and was fired for it. Laws are different, I guess.


Yes it was; between 1971 and 1973. 
This type of behaviour would never happen in this day of age though. 

I’m surprised teachers got away with things they did but they did. Some teachers smoked up with their students during these camping trips. 
Note: I wasn’t one of them . 

In high school a girl I was good friends with got pregnant by one of the teachers and he got away with it . It couldn’t be proven and they later got married and had the child. 

These were good people who made a mistake but took responsibility for the mistake they made.


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## Keesha (Oct 8, 2019)

What prompted me to start this thread was the gratitude that I feel for living in the surroundings I did growing up. Like some others here, I was raised by abusive parents however I was materialistically cared for, without a doubt. 

My life was enriched by friends, neighbours,  teachers and I’m fortunate for this. 
Friends parents caring enough to let me stay after school every afternoon, teachers who noticed things most others wouldn’t and government workers who stepped in when needed. 

My heart goes out to those who had an abusive upbringing and lived in poverty.
That would be a tougher challenge therefore I count my blessings. My childhood had depths of despair  but I did find contentment  in both my inner world, my inner social circle and my positive surroundings outside our house. 

I’m at a stage right now where I’m at another level of learning new levels  of forgiveness and it’s challenging. 

Does anyone jump into situations with both feet and get so involved in situations that they can no longer see the obvious? Where until you step back to see the bigger picture, you were lost for being too close? 

It’s a fine day today.


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## Pepper (Oct 8, 2019)

(((Keesha))) 
You are something special!


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## win231 (Oct 8, 2019)

chic said:


> Was this in Canada? I knew of a Phys Ed teacher in jr high who roughed up a student and was fired for it. Laws are different, I guess.


I only had one teacher abuse me in 2nd or 3rd grade.  If I recall, I wasn't paying attention; I was bored.  She grabbed me by the arm & dragged me to the corner & told me to stand there for the rest of the class.  I was scared of her because she weighed around 300 lbs.
I won't say how I got her back, but....take my word for it.  I got even & then some....
She was probably transferred to another school; no one saw her in that school again.
Teachers who use their hands instead of their brains are taking a big risk.  A teacher doesn't know how much abuse a child is already enduring at home.  And, in a child's mind, a teacher is not the parent & a child may react differently to a teacher's abuse than a parent's.


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## Lakeland living (Oct 8, 2019)

Had no problems with school, liked it when they asked me to leave. Was completely bored, for me not a good thing. I get into things...
Poor back then, not great then but this time...look where I live.,,... Came out of college with honors.
Not bad for a dismissed altar boy, the wine tasted like crap anyway.
   The educational system is archaic in Canada.  nuff said


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## Furryanimal (Oct 14, 2019)

Spent hours outside playing often far from home,enjoyed school most of the time,developed my interest in sport that I have had ever since,was kept in check with the occasional hiding and loved going off to university as I entered adulthood.


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## moviequeen1 (Oct 20, 2019)

My childhood was ok so I thought until after 5th grade
At age 10 was sent away to  2 boarding boarding schools  one in Deerfield,Mass{co-ed}, other in Toronto{girls}, 2 yrs at each school .The last 2 yrs lived with aunt&uncle in Baltimore,MD which I disliked the most.School work was difficult for me,was put back twice in 4th&9th grade I was gone from ages 10-16.My older sister,younger brother got to stay home with our parents 24/7
I was very jealous of my siblings,at the time they were strangers to me
All I will say is,it took me yrs to forgive my parents,but I survived


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## Silverfox (Oct 20, 2019)

My childhood was a pretty normal one. I grew up on Long Island with my Mother and Father and older sister. I spent most of my free time when I was young skipping rope, playing hopscotch, and jacks with my girlfriends. As I got to be a teen I would either hang at the local soda/ice cream shops or at my girlfriends homes or they at my parents home and we would listen to music a lot.


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## win231 (Oct 20, 2019)

moviequeen1 said:


> My childhood was ok so I thought until after 5th grade
> At age 10 was sent away to  2 boarding boarding schools  one in Deerfield,Mass{co-ed}, other in Toronto{girls}, 2 yrs at each school .The last 2 yrs lived with aunt&uncle in Baltimore,MD which I disliked the most.School work was difficult for me,was put back twice in 4th&9th grade I was gone from ages 10-16.My older sister,younger brother got to stay home with our parents 24/7
> I was very jealous of my siblings,at the time they were strangers to me
> All I will say is,it took me yrs to forgive my parents,but I survived


Nature isn't perfect.  It's too bad parents who are unfit can still have kids.


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## Repondering (Oct 20, 2019)

It's a mostly happy set of memories, growing up in Hong Kong, an American boy in a British colony clustered around a harbor on the coast of China.  I belonged there in the ex-pat community, I liked Kowloon Junior School and King George V School, I loved the tree lined neighborhood of Kowloon Tong and if I could pick a time and place to grow up it would be there, in the 1960's.  My peer group, from many nations, all felt like Hong Kongers who by chance only, had passports from the parents' countries.
For me now and for the old friends I've reconnected with through the internet, HK in the '60s is a lost homeland.


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## moviequeen1 (Oct 21, 2019)

I need to clairfy my comments about my childhood
I grew up in the 50's & 60's,schoolwork was more difficult for me than my siblings.There were no 'specialize' schools here in Buffalo  at the time for students like myself. I tried to get into the private schools where my siblings attended,I wasn't as smart as they were
Winn,your comment about my parents I did not like, they were not 'unfit',they tried they best they could under the circumstances.The 1st boarding school  came highly recommended to them,too bad it was 500 miles away.The school in Toronto was closer  90 miles.At the time I was rebelling,so I purposedly got in with the wrong crowd to get their attention,I got expelled at the end of my freshman yr. My parents were frantic in trying to find  another school,thats when I was sent to live with my aunt&uncle
After I forgave my parents, we had long conversations about those yrs,how guilty they felt by what they did.As I grew older, I became closer to them.My relationship with my siblings has evolved over time.I'm extremely close with my brother,we talk every Sun.I can't say the same about my sister,she lives in England,we've never been close.I haven't seen her in 7 yrs,did talk briefly with her in July when she was visiting my brother in NH .
When my parents passed '96{dad} '03{mom} they  both gave me letters saying how proud they are of the life I've made for myself


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## jerry old (Oct 21, 2019)

I did not want to post on this thread.  The people here are better equipped to deal with problems than the general population, but even here you see the scars.

You wonder where your parent’s learned their child rearing skills?
They learned them the same place you did-from your parents.
You say you will never make the mistakes your parents did.
You are too educated, too modern, too knowledgeable-but when stressed, busy…you return to your personal history, applying the same crude methods your parents did.

Children are fragile creatures, we know that, but that knowledge is lost when incidents occur that anger, disappoint or when your child does not live up to your expectations.
Children know nothing of your expectations, they only know how your behavior effects them.

If your parents are living and available their a great resource for child rearing knowledge-
Now, not Then! We tend to have a low opinion of our parent’s child rearing skills and ignore their advise.

There were and will be a lot of mentally ill parent’s raising children (Try to explain to an eight year old: Mon or Dad does the things they do because their nuts.) They raise children with deep emotional scars and psy problems.
(Today, with the rampant substance abuse problems makes me shiver for the children.)

When a child is tormented, physically or mentally, or think they are tormented, they learn to hate. Hate is the most destructive thought pattern  is a learned behavior, and becomes a personality trait. 
It will color the child’s emotional feelings and perceptions throughout their life.
You have produced a hateful,’ screwed up kid’, who in turn will produce other screwed up kids.

You say, "Its not that bad.'  Yea, it is


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## StarSong (Oct 21, 2019)

Describe my childhood?  No thanks.  I'd much rather describe my adulthood.


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## fuzzybuddy (Oct 21, 2019)

I guess I was happy. I know it sounds dumb, but it was the only childhood I knew. Thankfully , there weren't any horrible things like abuse. Otherwise, it was a rather typical 1950-60 childhood.


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> There were and will be a lot of mentally ill parent’s raising children[/U] (Try to explain to an eight year old: Mon or Dad does the things they do because their nuts.) They raise children with deep emotional scars and psy problems.
> (Today, with the rampant substance abuse problems makes me shiver for the children.)
> 
> When a child is tormented, physically or mentally, or think they are tormented, they learn to hate. Hate is the most destructive thought pattern  is a learned behavior, and becomes a personality trait.
> ...


I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinion concerning their own childhood but you have made a broad statement which includes everyone and I strongly disagree. 

I don’t believe ALL children who are abused learn to hate. Some of us can dislike the behaviour so much that it takes us to different levels of thinking and behaviour, bringing about different emotions. 
It might take longer to process but I think abused survivors can become some of the most loving understanding people to ever exist.


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## jerry old (Oct 21, 2019)

Disagree as you will, we all have our opinions.  I am sure there are those that escaped, mended themselves and became responsible adult.

I've  met several with a personality that is flawed, blunted, lacking the full range of traits that make up well adjusted adults.
If you have the ability (length of time you can spend with this individual) you will note 'peculiar thinking, peculiar behaviors' that color their world.  The slang term describing these children, now adults is 'throw away children.'

My opinion was not plucked from idle thought., I've worked with many adults who have extreme character flaws, which assures they will constantly encounter problems in living.  That includes colleagues... 
I/you, we, would not choose to be ornery, mean spirited, difficult to get along with, distant..How many have you encounter?  How many have you ever wondered 'Why are they that way?'
Physical abuse is not the biggie, Children, now adults can discuss physical abuse; they have great difficult discussing verbal and the mental
abuse inflicted-they lacked the ability to perceive that it occurred.  If you are unaware of what occurred how are you going to deal with a 
problem you (as an adult) have no (or limited) knowledge that this was something done to you?

(Remember that extreme neglect also  results in personality traits that manifest themselves which result in an inability to deal with others:
'Extreme neglect, no I gave him everything and more that a child could want.'_)
Yes. you are correct, I'm discussing a sub-set, but I've encountered it time and time again.  Maybe, I had the wrong jobs; however I believe there are more Nightmare Closets than we know. 
The chosen method of dealing with emotions which are threating is avoidance and a deep resentment of those you do not  understand.
This is but a stones throw from hate. 
I have a great deal to say on this topic, my don't think my opinion is wanted nor accepted.


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> Disagree as you will, we all have our opinions.  I am sure there are those that escaped, mended themselves and became responsible adult.
> 
> I've  met several with a personality that is flawed, blunted, lacking the full range of traits that make up well adjusted adults.
> If you have the ability (length of time you can spend with this individual) you will note 'peculiar thinking, peculiar behaviors' that color their world.  The slang term describing these children, now adults is 'throw away children.'
> ...




I won’t deny that people who are severely abused have personality disorders. That goes without saying. I’d expect no different. 

If you observe them for any length of time you’ll notice peculiar behaviours that colour their world? Well duh! Of course you would. 
Why wouldn’t you? That’s to be expected also. 

You can’t expect children who aren’t shown any love from their family but instead are treated like pawns in an ever ending game of sadistic abuse, to act normal. THIS I don’t dispute. 

The percentage of people who were severely abused who can run away, brush themselves off and become a normal responsible adult with no personality dysfunction is slim to none. 
They might just hide it better. 

What I’m discussing here isn’t that they aren’t dysfunctional. My MAIN point being that not all abused children end up being psychopaths, sociopaths or haters!

Avoidance of people doesn’t always add up to people haters but I understand where you are trying to go.


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## win231 (Oct 21, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> I did not want to post on this thread.  The people here are better equipped to deal with problems than the general population, but even here you see the scars.
> 
> You wonder where your parent’s learned their child rearing skills?
> They learned them the same place you did-from your parents.
> ...



You may be correct about children learning how to be parents from their parents.  I've read that's true - in 80% of cases.  But, luckily there are exceptions.  People who are familiar with my abusive childhood often say to me:  "It's hard to believe you had an abusive childhood; you're the nicest guy I've ever known."  I always respond, "Some parents unintentionally teach their kids what type of people NOT to become by their bad example.  I made a point of not being anything like my mother."
It really wasn't that difficult - all I had to do was think, "Hmmmm, I had NO respect for her, whatsoever, none of her kids  attended her funeral & I felt relief when she died....is that how I want people to think of me?"


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## jerry old (Oct 21, 2019)

Avoidance is the first defensive mech. When *blunted,* (if I can use that for those who's range of social appropriate behavior is absent)
if that does not work, you try another.  Withdrawal of greater and greater proportions is attempted.
 (A DISGRESSION  I fancied myself an Emily Dickinson scholar at one time: her story is one of withdrawal, withdrawal. Then total withdrawal... 
  an extremely bright lady that was damaged.)
The defense mechs of damaged people is virtually uncountable.  The shrinks know something is wrong, but they did not know how to label it.
Sometime in the 60's and 70's they began using character disorders to explain problems they did not understand.  They knew they were dealing with a damaged person, but the what and why were unknown, much less how to 'fix it.
An "Inadequate Personality, what the hell does that mean. It is in the DMH as a legitimate diagnosis.  This 'fix it' manual is nonsense when dealing with character dosprders
You start attempting to cross the barrier's that a person has erected for self-protection your going to find yourself dealing with a very angry person. one who despises you and the values  you are trying to present.  The next step is hatred for those that find you less than you should be...
Primarily this is a self-diagnosis developed to cope with a world you do not understand.  You hate what you do not understand, you hate those
that possess traits you think you should have, but cannot possibly understand what those traits are.
Were not discussing psychosis, and really can't label it neurotic, We label them as those that have a character disorder, because we lack the tools
to understand damaged children that have become adults.
How does anyone react when labeled different, peculiar?  Especially, since they are often discussed by others: you doubt that they
fear and hate you, you being one of those that label them.
They have been damaged by a significant other sometime in their life, who, when and how is unknown.






, you retreat into a world


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> Avoidance is the first defensive mech. When *blunted,* (if I can use that for those who's range of social appropriate behavior is absent)
> if that does not work, you try another.  Withdrawal of greater and greater proportions is attempted.
> (A DISGRESSION  I fancied myself an Emily Dickinson scholar at one time: her story is one of withdrawal, withdrawal. Then total withdrawal...
> an extremely bright lady that was damaged.)
> ...


Retreating into your own world, doesn’t make you a hater either. 

I’m glad you wrote that ‘you’ hate what you don’t understand 

You switch texts so fast that I’m not sure what angle you are referring to. 

In your last post you mention ‘self diagnosis then switch to ‘you’ narration and then change it to ‘we.’ 
This makes your overall message difficult to understand cause not everyone does. They might feel somewhat indifferent. 

I think severely abused children have a much much harder time discovering what love is but this doesn’t necessarily mean that they have lived a life full of hate either. Perhaps distrust of others might be more appropriate than mere hatred of others. 

Hatred is such a dark violent emotion and not one we are all able to experience no matter how we were raised. 

I don’t think this makes my behaviour socially inappropriate. Or does it? 

And even if it is socially inappropriate, it’s not coming from a place of hate.


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## jerry old (Oct 21, 2019)

When I'm freewheeling, keeping the correct  procedure of persons ;singular, plural has no importance to me.  Perhaps I should put everything on word, but when the words 'come' they come rapid.
My style is loose and vague, I anticipate you filling in the meaning, as you perceive it to be...
It is not a flight of ideas, it is a topic of great interest to me.; I am requesting you to fit it into YOUR coherent whole; or place in in the rubbish bin.
My primary goal is to get you thinking on the topic.  You've encounter different attitudes, different ways of looking at the question, how will you fit a differ opinions into your current beliefs or will you.
If I promised to be better it would be a lie.

Switching topics"
Did you read post # 64 by Win231. see the decent aspects prevail, certainly uplifting.  

Have you read much poetry where you have to 'figure out' what the author is saying.  I'm certainly not a poet, just an old hack.
'Coon song' by A. R. Ammons  (or Armmons)  is worth the read, as  is Miss Emily.
Book learning, naw, they done wore me out at the schoolhouse.


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> When I'm freewheeling, keeping the correct  procedure of persons ;singular, plural has no importance to me.  Perhaps I should put everything on word, but when the words 'come' they come rapid.
> My style is loose and vague, I anticipate you filling in the meaning, as you perceive it to be...
> It is not a flight of ideas, it is a topic of great interest to me.; I am requesting you to fit it into YOUR coherent whole; or place in in the rubbish bin.
> My primary goal is to get you thinking on the topic.  You've encounter different attitudes, different ways of looking at the question, how will you fit a differ opinions into your current beliefs or will you.
> ...



You completely missed my point. 
That’s ok. Yes I read wins post. 
I said basically the same thing. You just missed it. 

When my parents treated me with hatred it didn’t teach me how to hate people. It taught me what kind of person I didn’t want to be like and that wasn’t a hateful one. 

I do read poetry. When reading your posts I didn’t think of it as poetry so I apologize if that’s what it was meant to be. 

My correspondence wasn’t to criticize you either. 
According to your post, you must be a hateful person and I happen to disagree. That’s all.


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## jerry old (Oct 21, 2019)

Think as you well, I don't attempt to change opinions, not anymore
Happy life to you


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

I’m not trying to change yours either 
I just disagree with your analogy


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## peppermint (Oct 21, 2019)

I was born to two wonderful people....Mom and Dad....I was the Middle Child....My Big brother was 6 years older and my little brother was 6 years
younger then me....My parents were great parents....With not a lot of money....My Dad was a painter....that painted rich people's homes....
He had an old car with the side of the car had wood siding....This was in the 60's....My Dad always had painter pants on....
As time went by, my parents finally bought a very nice home...My mom worked and my Dad was still painting homes...But they persevered...
My Dad was in the National Guard for 40 years....At one time we lived in an Armory....We lived in the apartment up from the
the Armory where they had  jeeps and National Guard drills....It was very loud...
Finally  when I graduated from High School....I was a Secretary for a company....My parents decided to by a home....
I was going with a guy since I graduated from High School and married that guy....We are married a very long time...
We have a son and daughter, both married with children...

So my childhood, I never knew that we were a little poor, even though my parents worked....I had my very best cousin across
the street and we did everything together....Except she didn't want to ice skate...So she watched me skate in the really cold
weather on a pond....

I guess I was a lucky girl....We had a large family....Going to my Grandmother's house(Grandma was Italian and didn't speak
English)….She stayed in the kitchen cooking every time our family went to her house....She never sat down at the table...
I never knew my Grandfather...He died very young....So Grandma lived with my uncle and aunt....

I can't say anything bad about my life....But only having lost my parents, aunt's and uncles and cousins....
I still have my younger brother and his wife and kids...My older brother died in 2001.....

It wasn't always roses....But life is what you make it....And we did make it....
,


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## drifter (Oct 21, 2019)

My childhood was sort of a growing up experience of good times and bad.


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

peppermint said:


> I was born to two wonderful people....Mom and Dad....I was the Middle Child....My Big brother was 6 years older and my little brother was 6 years
> younger then me....My parents were great parents....With not a lot of money....My Dad was a painter....that painted rich people's homes....
> He had an old car with the side of the car had wood siding....This was in the 60's....My Dad always had painter pants on....
> As time went by, my parents finally bought a very nice home...My mom worked and my Dad was still painting homes...But they persevered...
> ...


It’s heartwarming reading posts like yours.
There’s nothing more touching than knowing families who truly loved each other and shared great memories  their entire lives.

It’s something that can be felt right to my bones. 
I’m not sure what percentage are truly happy like yours but it sets the bar high for something to strive for.


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## Keesha (Oct 21, 2019)

jerry r. garner said:


> Think as you well, I don't attempt to change opinions, not anymore
> Happy life to you



And Jerry. I don’t think I was trying to change your mind either. My style of communicating isn’t always well polished. 

I think this topic really means a lot to me for many reasons. The first one being that I purposely never had any children cause I was so scared of the possibility of hurting them like my parents did me. 
Friends who know me well have stated that I’d have made a great mom. 

Sure the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. 
It’s painfully true Jerry. Like father , like son.
Like mother, like daughter. 

Statistics might  state that the possibility of offspring being made from the same cloth is high but from my experience, the ones who were abused the most must have tried extra hard cause they make incredibly great mothers and fathers. These people clearly wanted to make a change and DID. 

They made a distinct choice. 
They chose LOVE not FEAR. 
This made a huge difference. 

People choosing higher consciousness is possible. 
We have examples all over the world. 

May your life be happy too Jerry. 
Thank you


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## jerry old (Oct 21, 2019)

Thanks kid, (I hope I'm your senior at 78)
I've done a lot of things in my life talked to hundreds maybe thousands of people with problems.
When a household member, loved one is having problems, I would be called there, once contact was established, I would drop in unannounced.
I have frequented the same address 10-20 times  as long as a problem was occurring, and did casual follow-ups, again unannounced.

My point is::: once I had a vague, casual acquaintance with the household members who were not actually involved in the problems 
During these visit there were constantly attempts to engage me in private conversations.  Always, dragging me to a secluded area where they could not be overhead, once there they unloaded on  me.  Always the same story, or very close to the story; utterance cloaked in hypothetical situations sprinkled with euphemisms. The message was, 'I hurt, someone harmed me.'

Why me? I learned how to dress like them, talk like them, and act like them. I was safe, non-judgmental  This is a skill that takes many years to learn and very difficult to fake..

What did I do?

Nothing, you do not attempt to assist someone that has dropped decades of barriers unless your going to be able to deal with it on a long term basis; A twenty minute 'feel good' conversational is a lie and a betrayal. 

Good night young lady,
 good slumber


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## Keesha (Oct 22, 2019)

Yes you are my senior 
Were you a social worker perhaps?

Maybe that’s what confused me. 
I think perhaps you described how you feel about your job instead of describing your childhood.

I think I need to learn to be ok with whatever people write and allow people to answer however they feel. 

It must be the nit picker in me. Some OCD tendencies unfolding.


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## Aunt Marg (May 31, 2021)

Keesha said:


> What was your childhood like?
> Did you like school ?
> Did you  have many friends?
> What types of things did you like to do?
> ...


I couldn't have asked for a better childhood.

Hated school with a passion, though, good friends helped get me through, and speaking of friends, I have always been so fortunate in life when it came to finding good solid long-term friends.

As for staying busy there was no shortage of things that kept me out of trouble. At home were baby siblings, and this big sister was involved with all of their needs and care from the time they were babies. Was involved with a ton of school sports, and spent my spare time with friends and close family (cousins).

On quiet and rainy or cold wintery days, I had my trusty cassette player to keep me company, and it seemed mom and I were always doing something in the house... baking, cooking, playing cards at the kitchen table, board games, was always something going on.

Being driven around from point A to point B, was unheard of when I was growing up. I walked or rode my bike everywhere, and that included in the most miserable of weather, and I never complained.

Did a ton of babysitting in my younger years... baby siblings, baby cousins, neighbourhood kids, and that kept me extra busy, and even used to get an occasion job with the city doing odds and ends, such as the one summer where I delivered directories, and even house-sat/pet-sat for people.

What I'd give to go back to those old days and relive them again just for a time.


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## Gaer (May 31, 2021)

childhood:
Alone almost always.  Quiet, calm, sweet Norse/Welsh family.  
Always down at the Yellowstone river alone or the gravel pit, building imaginary cities.
EXTREMELY SPIRITUAL!  Saw and talked to Holy angels always!  Quit the church at eight years old because I saw the falsity.
Should have been killed many times because, unknown to my parents, I took dangerous chances with my physical body.
My Mother called me aloof and stubborn. I would sing at the table and laugh before breakfast.  (both forbidden)
I LOVED  thunder!  I would always run outside and dance in the rain.  adventurous.  Always went places I wasn't supposed to go.
I starred in all the school plays, liked cartooning, writing poetry, reading literature.  My goal was to grow up to be a LADY.
 This all changed when I discovered BOYS at age 15!  i partied, danced, kissed boys, HAD SO MUCH FUN!


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## Pepper (May 31, 2021)

Why couldn't you laugh before breakfast @Gaer ?


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## Maywalk (Jun 15, 2021)

My childhood was extremely traumatic. 
I was in a so called Sister-of-Mercy home where I was cruelly treated until my family finally got me back home at the age of 6 and a half. The year was 1936. 
I remember the Jubilee of  King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth  and when the war started in 1939 I remember being machine gunned in the hopfields and then being bombed out twice during the London Blitz. Plus the 57 days and nights when being continually bombed. 
We were finally evacuated to the Midlands towards the end of 1941 where I spent my schooldays at a makeshift evacuee school until I was 14 and started work. 
I am past 91 years old now but can still remember it well.


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## Murrmurr (Jun 15, 2021)

Equal parts fun, good food, adventure, and hard work. 

I had no idea we didn't have much money. Not until I was in my late teens, anyway. And I was employed by that time.


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## asp3 (Jun 15, 2021)

*What was your childhood like?*

Overall I'd say I had a very fortunate childhood.  I was able to experience a lot of things that others might not have been able to.  However there were certain things that I wasn't taught that would have improved my life both then and as a young adult and an adult.

*Did you like school ?*

I liked it for the most part but there were parts I didn't like so much.

*Did you have many friends?*

I usually had a few close friends but I didn't have a wide social circle.

*What types of things did you like to do?*

I loved playing games throughout my childhood.  I also enjoyed building things with blocks, tinker toys and other things like that.  I also enjoyed reading and enjoyed learning things, mostly scientific subjects.

*Do you view your childhood fondly?*

I am very happy that I experienced a lot of the things that I did but if I had it to do over I'd trade some of my experiences for learning things I didn't know until adulthood.


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## DaveA (Jun 15, 2021)

jujube said:


> Pretty darn good, I'll have to admit.
> 
> Not much money, but a lot of love.  Very involved parents, but on the other hand, pretty free-range before free-range became popular.
> 
> I can't complain.  Oh, I did a lot of complaining but there wasn't much substance to it.....


Sound like my life was very similar.


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