Without going into great detail, there is a lot of my childhood that is shrouded in mystery. But when I read (and saw) reports on the ritual Purity Balls where a father and daughter enter into a commitment where the father vows to "protect his daughter's virginity" and be her "boyfriend" until she marries, I thought I would throw up. I am still shook up. My childhood was weird and I never felt safe alone with my father. These feelings are all being stirred up again and I'm not sure I want them to be.