Some Thoughts On My Upbringing

I'm glad I have two parents. It's not an issue I address much, or really something I think about much, but it's actualy pretty important to me.

When I see other people...Now that I count, all my close friends, the parental divorce rate is staggering. I see its effects. I see how these people act slightly to moderatly abnormal as a result of whether or not their parents have divorced. (Any other Andy-type strangeness is unrelated) No one wants to see their parents fight or even disagree. With my experience it happens [divorce] when the children are young. No one wants to live with a strange, new step-parent. To this day my friend James still calls his step-mother "step-bitch". It's either curse the step-parent, or the estranged biological parent or both. And ultimately, someone in the equasion ends up unforgiven. Someone hates someone and will forever have unresolved issues. Of course this feeds into the values of marriage, kids, every idea of what makes a family is skewed in the mind of the child-of-divorce. How should they be expected to lead a normal life? The same rings true for crime, abuse, drugs, etc. "Do what mom & dad did" becomes the mantra of the day and the cycle continues...

In some ways I take a bit of pity, I feel at least some amount of compassion. On the other side, I do not wish to be around anyone with a screwed-up idea of what is a normal life.

But here's the kicker. I feel so powerful because of my background. Because of the values I was taught as a child and the supreme example that was set for me, I feel like the epitome of a normal man. Granted, I've had my screwups, I've done my share of sinning. But I am a human. I am not perfect. But I know what is right and what is wrong. I've learned what works and what does not. I've seen it first-hand. I have the unmistakable sense of values that make me who I am. I am happy with where I have been, therefore I am please to see where I am going. Show me a man that has had an undesireable past, and chances are, they will have an uncertain future...Or dillusional views on what they value in life. The trend is alarming, but I maintain.