My father wonders why I don't talk to him

My father watches a lot of TV comedy. He always has. Mostly his tastes run the gamut between Bernard Manning and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Chubby_Brown"Roy 'Chubby' Brown</a>. Occasionally, he watches something more challenging, as long as it doesn't contain anyone too intelligent to make him resentful.

Ripping Yarns was one of those.

One episode in particular (along with the more typical spoofs of public school, sport, colonialism and the Second World War) was titled 'The Testing of Eric Olthwaite'. This was the tale of a young man who talked ceaselessly about one or two subjects to the exclusion of all else. Eric was so boring, his parents ran away from home.

I wish mine had.

I was, and probably still am, someone who can talk endlessly about things that interest me. My father is the same, but since he does not share my interests to him I am boring. Throughout my childhood he mocked me because of this. I once bought a comic that said Sol Brodsky was dead. I thought my father, a 1960s comics fan would be interested. No. For years afterwards he recounted the tale in an 'Eric Olthwaite' voice saying "Sol Brodsky's dead today, mother". I was 13 years old at the time.

I learned a hard lesson here. Whether it has standed me in good stead is another matter. I learned not to say anything if I had any doubt about how what I said would be received. I learned that if I was enthusiastic about something, people would ridicule me for it. I learned that if something is enjoyable, then it's sad and pathetic.

Now I live an entirely enclosed life. I stay in this room and indulge my pursuits. And I don't tell anyone. They won't understand. I think they'd understand more if I was viewing porn and 'extreme' action videos rather than looking up Royal Geneologies and Adam Curtis documentaries. But sex and violence (and combinations of both) are not sad and pathetic.

Discovered enthusiasm is ridicule. You will be destroyed for liking things others don't.

And now, my parents complain I stay in my room and never talk to them. I'm sorry, but some things are hard to forgive.

(((((disordered one))))))


sounds like dad had problems of his own.

ahh i know what u mean. thing is u cant please your parents.if your dad doesnt like your interests, thats his problem.the factthat u r not interested by such things that all animals are designed to do. my interests tend to be ridiculed too,so i dont do them. ergo, i do nothing. i basically live at PC oh well.
take care
self

Hi disordered one,
I'm disordered too. Welcome to this strange place, if it is a place at all! Hi Selfy, I live here too, or at least my emotional life seems to have roosted here, Hi voN, good to seeya this evening.

I wanted to say bout what you wrote, disordered one, that though this may sound strange, but reading what you wrote was quite breathe taking. It started out for me, just funny- hilarious, but soon wiped the smile off my face as it became searingly poignant, ...... I've never quite had an exprerience like that reading anything.....
(sorry if I sound like I'm writing a cheesy review for time out.... but, i just wanted to express this......)

by the way, did you ever read any Tom Holt?

saw you mentioned Bernard Manning and knew you were from these shores............. I'm waiting for the ulitmate ludicrousity - to find I'm taling to my neighbour!

warmest of welcomes to you, I'd hope to hear more.


river