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Harry

What did your parents do that helped shape your personality?

Like quite a few of you, I definitely didn't have a normal childhood.  There are certain things my parents did that I will never talk about.  BUT, there are some things that I don't mind sharing with you.

When my mother took the time to read to me at bedtime, she read me Edgar Allan Poe's stories (the poem, The Raven, was my favorite) and the original Grimm's Fairy Tales.  For those of you not old enough to remember, the brothers that wrote those stories were very aptly named!  They are not the white-washed stories children have been spoon fed for the past 30 or so years.

When I was young, we sat as a family around the big television in my parent's bedroom.  While my brothers and I were glued to the TV, my father used to take off his dirty smelly socks and throw them into our faces. 

For those of you that know me, these tidbits should explain a lot.


 


SO, what did your parents do that you believe helped shape your personality?



Posted - October 25, 2017
Tags : dark very dark sarcastic cynical dark humor stupid jokes pretty much a complete idiot

Responses


  • I don't want to say anything bad about my parents because they have both passed in the past 3 years...I would say I learned from them to be independent and to never take life too seriously.... that's all I've got to say about that :) no sock stories. Omg ... I can't think of one good thing and I know there must be something... I'll get back to you then :)
      October 25, 2017 4:18 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    I'm sorry for the loss of your parents Jaimie.  Mine are gone now too.

    Being independent at a very young age, and never taking life too seriously, were two lessons that I definitely learned from them and my grandmother.  As bad as things were, those were two very valuable life lessons IMO. 

    When you think of a pleasant memory or one that's a little off-kilter like mine, come back and post them. This post was edited by Harry at October 26, 2017 1:44 PM MDT
      October 25, 2017 4:25 PM MDT
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  • I was just thinking of one my dad tried to teach me when I was young that is funny :) I didn't know him well when I was young but got to know him as adult ( I liked him very much then) and he told me this story... my mom smoked and when I was little and when I would play I would take her cigarettes and pretend I was smoking them... my dad hated that she smoked and hated that I thought was something cool at age 3ish... so he said here ... "you want to smoke, smoke" he lit a cigarette gave it to me. I guess I was so exited! Sat in chair cross my legs like I was a grown up ... smoked the whole cigarette at age 3 like I was a pro... that backfired :) lol .. but he did try teach me something :)
      October 25, 2017 4:35 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    LMAO!  That's a great story!  Thanks for sharing it.

    FYI, both my parents smoked.  My mother gave me permission to smoke when I was 14.  She figured the same thing your father did.  AND, like you, it backfired.  I was the kid who walked around smoking all the time.  Thankfully, I stopped smoking years ago.  It's interesting that you liked your Dad as an adult.  The same thing happened with me.  We became close the last 10 years of his life.
      October 25, 2017 4:44 PM MDT
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  • I adored him a second an adult :) we got along so well ... My mom and I didn't make peace before she died and that's something I do regret.. I hadn't talked to her for a few years before she passed on .. so I learned that life lesson from her too:) life is too freakin short to hold grudges. She was only 18 when had me so I know she didn't then best she could... oh and I got my "crazy gene " from here ... I'm fine with that ;) she was a cool lady ... just wasn't that great   at being a mom .. that wasn't her fault.. was just who she was:)
      October 25, 2017 4:51 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    That's a healthy way to look at it.  My mother wasn't like yours. She was older, very detached, and didn't know how to deal with children.  As an adult, I recognize both their limitations as parents and accepted that a long time ago.
      October 26, 2017 1:21 PM MDT
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  • 22891
    they were honest and hardworking
      October 25, 2017 4:26 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    I wouldn't have thought they were anything but honest and hardworking Pearl.  Both of those traits are reflected in your personality. 
      October 25, 2017 4:36 PM MDT
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  • trauma 
      October 25, 2017 4:52 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    Short and sweet.  Thank you.
    Trauma appears to be a very popular theme among muggers. 
      October 25, 2017 5:02 PM MDT
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  • 7683
    You know Harry, when I see you and Jamie...I feel why can't I have that daredevilisness in me;(( my parents gave us siblings everything we needed, there were never any loud squabbles...Dad made us excel academically and Mom taught us how to behave, care ...things went well....but I always felt it was a cloistered life...I could never come out of the coccun;))
      October 25, 2017 6:56 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    I understand what you mean Veena.  Living a cloistered life isn't a bad thing.  It enabled you to have a wonderful childhood.  There's something to be said for that kind of upbringing.  AND, your experiences growing up, have made you into the sweet & wonderful woman we all know and love. :-) 
      October 26, 2017 1:32 PM MDT
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  • 7683
    Umm thanks Harry.....but life would have taught me to be more tougher and stronger...I keep leaning on someone or other.....because I so got accustomed to it...ha ha.....and I await others to decide for me.too at times ....oh Harry....you dunno but thorns are necessary to bloom...like Kelly clarksonhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn676-fLq7I# sang;))
      October 26, 2017 4:56 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    The fact that you recognize it Veena makes me think that you are learning to stand on your own.  ;-)
      October 27, 2017 3:58 AM MDT
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  • 13071
    My father died when I was two, so I cant blame anything on him. lOL But my mother , like your mother, had no idea how to deal with children. At least you got read to on occasion.  I guess Id have to say,  she shaped my personality by being the type of person I would never want to be, therefore, never was. She swore and went off with bikers without letting us know. When i was 15, I had to have my appendix taken out. She was no where to be found, so I had no one to give consent to do the operation. The doctor had to do it without consent, and he was reluctant to do so. When she got back from wherever, she got mad at me for getting sick in the first place. She said I was an inconsiderate beyatch. 

    Because of her, I dont swear, and am very polite about other peoples feelings. I dont know if i was born that way, or just that I didnt want to be like her.
      October 26, 2017 1:43 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    Thank you for sharing such a personal, and I'm sure painful, story Carbon.  It definitely sounds like you did everything to ensure you were never like her.  What I know of you, among other things, is that you're a very responsible mother and grandmother.   I'm very glad you were able to see that what was going on in your life wasn't right and you managed to break the cycle of abuse and neglect.  

    FYI, I was called an inconsiderate beyatch too (among other things) around the same age.   We must be related. ;-)
      October 26, 2017 3:05 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    As kids we were taught wright from Wong and in return ,I wiv  the elp of my bruthers and sisters  taught our parents humour and how to chase their cheeky kids......:)D 
      October 26, 2017 2:16 PM MDT
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  • 6124
    It sounds as if you had a great childhood NJ.  With your sense of humor, I suspect you had (& still have) a lot of fun with your siblings. :-) 
      October 26, 2017 3:12 PM MDT
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  • 14795
    I have two older brothers ,one elder sister ,one younger sister and a youngest brother.....all in that order ...lol

     My parents said it was a relatively quiet house until I came along....then once I could walk I made there life hell ,the worse thing was I kind of instigated everything..... Then as luck would happen my mum fell pregnant twice again ,swelling our ranks to six kids......our dad had no chance with the girls on his case daily......he had to part up or else....lol
    A certain look for our mum meant enough was enough and my pranks had to stop and give our dad a rest......
    I got over that partly though by involving her in winding up our dad.....

    Our childhood was always fun......now there are our partners plus grand kids on his case.......family parties are just historical........lol 
      October 26, 2017 3:45 PM MDT
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