If I could do it over again...

I'd tell my dad what I felt. Every single time. No matter what. I wouldn't bottle things up.

And I don't blame myself for being afraid of my parents - all children are afraid of parents who abuse their power to take advantage of a child's inherently trusting nature.

It's all the little things - the incessant scowl no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to please him.

The laughter when you're hurt or scared or struggling with something - the mockery, the bottomless feeling that you're no good, that they'll never help you, they'll never credit you with anything or show you how to anything that's really important, like how to frickin' survive on this crazy planet.