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Both of my parents were alcoholics. My father was a good provider but distant and uninvolved; a career Marine Corps officer who, due to his upbringing, had no conception of what a father should be. My mother was an excellent little boy's mother but once my one sibling was born when I was 11, I became the "Invisible Child" by both circumstance and choice.
At that age we were in Japan and I spent every possible moment outside the home, riding my bike with my best friend all through Tokyo in the late 50s. Next up was Virginia where I spent my time roaming the woods., rivers and streams with my dog. Then it was off to a military boarding school for high school. Returning home to southern California I spent my days in college and on the beach swimming, surfing and sailing.
At 19 I volunteered for the Army (1966) wanting combat duty. While gone overseas, everything I had left at home for safe-keeping disappeared. But why would my parents keep them? I was the "Invisible Child" after all and didn't really exist. Only my sibling did.
I was the first daughter born after 4 sons. Enough said? I was treasured by my father, not treated as special by my mother (but she loved us all)tolerated and protected by my older brothers, and only somewhat dethroned by the two sisters who followed me.
I was the product of a union that was supposed to be the post WW II American dream. My parents had their own house, and 2 little boys. I was the older of those 2 little boys. Suddenly, when I was 4 and my brother was 2 and a half, our father died at age 32. I have only very sketchy memories of him.
My mother's life was turned upside down for a few years. We all moved back in with my maternal grandparents, and that was the childhood life I remember. We lived in a city, and my brother and I were out on our bikes all over the city, making friends with other boys...and enemies with quite a few! It was a typical rough-and-tumble, hard-knocks life for a boy in the 1950s.
My dad had a brother in Maine; he was slightly lame, and never married. He would have my brother and me up there most of every summer. I think our mom was glad to get us out of the house! It was a whole different world in the woods of Maine. We learned how to hunt, fish, camp, chop wood, use tools, cook over a fire.Typical male-oriented stuff, and I loved it. My brother tolerated it.
By age 12, I was growing pretty quickly to my adult height of 6' 3", and got my first job as a show dog handler. I looked good in the ring with the larger dogs, and other people wanted me to handle their dogs, also. I did this work off and on till I was married and we were expecting our first child. But in my early days, I gave all my earning to my mom, to help pay for our school clothes.
So I was the kid who grew up fighting on city sidewalks, learning to stalk game and walk silently through the woods, think quickly on my feet, and become mature and independent at a young age. It was the best boyhood any kid could ask for.
I was the rebellious, problem child stuck in the middle. I was by no means invisible or left out. I just didn't stand out in a positive light. I got into fights, did terribly in school, and flat out rejected being controlled. Though they never outright said it, my parents believed I was a lost cause, doomed to the streets or knocked up by 16. Luckily, I debunked that load of bull and made a life for myself.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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I was a withdrawn antisocial kid at school and a rebellious attitude having child at home who liked to withdraw to his room and Playstation. I went days without saying one word to anyone. I was a B/C student who could have gotten better grades if he gave a enough to work harder. I frequently got into shouting matches with my mother. During HS, I got interested in studying business and that got me into college and other programs at school.
My childhood was pretty good. My parents just worked a lot, and I mainly spent my time drawing and playing video games. I haven't changed all that much since then either. I'm just in college now, and pursuing a career in art.
I was the eldest of 3. Grew up in Paris, raised by a single mother. I have lots of fond memories about growing up in such a culturally rich city, which so much great food!
My father passed away when I was 4, I have very little memory of him. My mom then remarried, and had my little sister when I was 8 and my brother when I was 11. Unfortunately, things didn't work out with my step dad later down the road. I was like a "2nd mom" to my siblings as my mom had to work a lot to care for us. It taught me responsibility at a young age. I'm grateful to have learned it early on.
Came to the US as a teen. High school was a so so experience for me, I excelled academically, but was pretty lonely in the 11th grade, being a newcomer and all. It got better in the 12th grade.
After that went on to become a nurse, and I feel happy to everyday make a positive difference in othe peoples lives.
parents divorced young had step parents,,lived in both houses
grew up on a farm and fishing boat,,,work work work ...
we hunted and fished for our dinners,,dug clams, picked berries, gardened..
school of hard knocks,,,
tough neighborhood ,,,you wouldn't think so,,being maine,,,,but fighting all the time,,,rock fights,,, we were doing MMA (anything goes) fights 40 yrs ago,,,,we'd get all bloodied up and go home crying then parents would holler at us for ripping "school" clothes
playing football in high school was a breeze and fun...compared to the fighting
we knew the value of a dollar,,,we went around the neighborhoods and asked for small jobs,,,from shoveling snow to stacking wood,,,this gave us luxury money for maybe a movie once in a great while
Totally invisible. Both my parents had major mental illness with multiple suicide attempts (I think all before I was born). They got on some decent medications....but my sister ended up being developmentally delayed. As the younger sister I actually ended up in the role of the older and was constantly reminded she would be my responsibility when I got older. Otherwise I kept quiet and out of the way to avoid my sister's and parents' drama. Graduated early from H.S. and went out of town to college as soon as I could.
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enough to work harder. I frequently got into shouting matches with my mother. During HS, I got interested in studying business and that got me into college and other programs at school.
