Thanks marmaduke!

It's crazy how similar our stories of life sound. It's crazy how frighteningly similar the words of our parents are that was spoken to us.

Oh yes, you are so right! The reminding, the guilt, every day, how lucky I was that I had such a dedicated parent who provided so diligently. I remember how he used to say that he was not appreciated enough.

I remember the hours and hours I was forced to listen to him complaining about his life, his finances, the government, on and on it went. How stupid his colleagues were at work, how his boss was not recognizing just how much of an asset he was to the company, and not paying him a higher salary accordingly. For hours and hours every day. Let me dare take 5 minutes for myself to go and even make a hot dog or listen to something on a TV program, I would begin to get the "nobody wants to listen to me" stuff, the "It'd be better if I were just dead, then you'll all be happy" stuff.

What the effect of all this is on the child, I don't know. I don't think one will ever know the full extent. I discover pitfalls in my personality daily, all directly linked to this.