I was listening to the radio the other day and a man was saying how his future had been made better by his horrible monstrous mother who was never pleased with him, beat him, and made awful cookies. As a result he tried to please her, worked so hard he became a doctor, learned how to deal with terrible people and stayed fit and trim because he hated cookies. So the horrible had positive effects.

I’ve been thinking about all the horrible people in my life, and what they did for me. There was always a price to pay to be sure, but if you worked on it there could be positives too.

My father

I do love my father, but...

It’s always the buts, isn’t it? As time has passed he’s become mellower. His volatile temper and ready hitting hand have changed. He still gets mad but his hand shakes now, and it is sad rather than scary. I think he’s a better person. I believe he has realized how much some things in his life mean to him-...