Soured
It is time, perhaps, to consider estrangement from my parents. I have never had a good relationship with my parents. As a child, I often hid who I was, and was perceptive enough at a young age to realize that the battle to "be yourself" was futile in my family structure. Too many times, I saw my older brother unsuccessfully try to "break free" of his chains until eventually his spirit was spent, and so early on, I realized that my parents had a great power, to taint and destroy our dreams. So, while growing up, restricted, constrained, never allowed to be the person I had the potential to be, I stowed something of myself away. I secretly delighted in having my own grand designs about how I would like things to go in my life and who I might become. I liked the idea that I could be my own agent and that my thoughts were unique. Already, I was not allowed to look the way I wanted, read as much as I wanted, wear my hair the way I wanted, climb trees, or even have ...
