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| Similar thing. My sisters tell me my father hated me and was jealous of me. They don’t understand why I don’t hate and resent him.
I think he had a rough upbringing during the depression and I believe he had trouble coping with his time in the Navy during WWII. I think it was what drove him to drink. He quit drinking but was basically a dry drunk exhibiting every symptom of alcoholism except drunkenness.
He punched me dead in the face when I joined the Marines.
No one from my family got up to see me off to boot camp. The recruiter sat in the car waiting after I got in. He asked if anyone was coming out. I said no. He said, oh, they said goodbye inside? I said no. No one is up.
The three tour Vietnam vet said little else on our way to the induction center. He felt awful. I had to tell him it was okay.
There was a lot of crap going on in the world, and we were told to call home and let our families know we were okay. My father refused my collect call.
No one has been to any of my graduations from anything. Never a word of encouragement. I don’t remember birthday gifts. I’ve never had a party. Christmas was okay, just don’t get in front of the TV.
On any form requiring notification of next of kin I’d usually put the president if they insisted I put someone. My SGLI beneficiary was the Navy-Marine Relief Fund.
Since the Corps, I’ve earned a bachelor’s and two masters degrees. The first one in my family to graduate college. I’ve heard nothing from my family on these accomplishments.
I guess it worked out that I do not seek anyone’s validation for anything. Boot camp was fairly easy compared to my father. A couple of pluses.
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Things you did that your dad ridiculed/made fun of that worked out really well for you in the end?
