Ayup, t'were at the time. Grateful I had a few different male role models as good friends. They taught me the stronger man is the most gentle, most caring and tender. Even through the cold rage I bore for the asshole trucker they also taught me to live, despite my desire to kill. And they "picked up" on all of this going on in at home.
Years later my mom had some hint of audacity strike her. She had wrapped up visiting me and Christy. I was putting her bags into the back end of her van and mom turns asking me, "D_, he never 'touched' you did he? Is that why you're bisexual?" I damn near fell over and rolled down the hill.
"Mom, think about it. If he had ever done that there would have been a fight between Pap, uncle "Buddy" and Johnny to see who got to first dibs on torturing him to death. No mom he's not why I'm bisexual. i'm bisexual because since birth I've been wired up to know love is love and I can love either man or woman, or both, or someone in between. Sex is wonderful, beautiful, but at the same time you screw once it can all become so much the same with just minor nuances. So, well guess I'm bi because I love and not from anything D_ ever did, or didn't do, except teach me love all the more as he drilled hate into me."
She stood there about half got a minute. "Yeah, I guess you're right they would have killed him. You're their "special" boy my son. You know that, huh?"
"Yep, I do mom for all the hell they put me through trying to work me to death."
She hugged me and left. Fast forward a few years more and unsurprisingly
yet as if to shock me. "Guess what son, your mom is bi too."
"Go mom! Swing them brass balls all day long!"
So yes, have known a lot of pain to some degree. Also know I've not had it the worst by a long shot. Others face a lot worse. When I think of that I get rather sad. I feel useless and small because there is only so much any one person can do to try making anything better.
Quick example of that is when me and Chris got back up here, surprised to see her sis and her family was back at the farm, a nephew drew my ear close and whispered "will you be my daddy?" I had to get up and walk outside. This was the same nephew had taken until he was nearly three to speak. His first phrase was "Barney, watch Barn Yard with me."
Chris' granddad always called me Barney. So, I got that non-speaking nephew up in my arms as we plopped into an arm chair and we watched Barn Yard together. We had a time laughing. I got nick named Mooshy Cow. He got nick named Tofu Salesman from another cartoon.
The boy is damn near Eisenstein times three now in junior high taking high school and college level classes. I'm so proud of him. He told his college educated dad he didn't think it was right. His dad walked right in and asked what wasn't right. "Well dad, you and mom ought to be smarter than me. You both went to college but neither of you can figure out this math problem, or stop me from accessing nuclear arms on your computers."
But yeah, I had to walk out a bit when he asked that, to be his daddy. He's lived through some rough shit too. Parents that aren't fit to own hermit crabs let alone children being part of that. Having to had to defend his older brother from bullies in school another part. Why defend his brother? Gee, maybe some loving uncle taught them both brothers is all you got, stand fast for one another. And I only taught it once, they'll hold it forever.
So yeah, had to walk out. Couldn't break down in front of him. Couldn't say I would be his daddy. Couldn't not do anything either. Yeah, had to walk outside. And I fought with myself to keep from pounding sense into his actual "daddy" when my wife told me the boy had been sleeping in maggots. Gah.
Excuse me if I let a fuckity fuck fuck slip. Yeah, known pain. Lots of us have though. Funny thing being we can choose better, be better. There's always that choice. Don't let the "world" fool you.