I Feared My Parents – and Think That’s a Good Thing

I grew up fearing my kind and loving parents for one very simple reason: they meant business.

While my parents gave me all the affection and support I could wish for, I guess you could classify my upbringing as old school. I wasn’t given many choices when it came to things like meals, bedtimes or chores. I wasn’t able to negotiate my way into or out of anything they didn’t approve of. “Kids don’t get a vote,” my dad would always say, “This isn’t a democracy.” And it wasn’t.

You bet I stated my case, caused a scene, and bucked their boundaries as I was growing. You can also bet that I faced the consequences of my actions every. single. time. How they mustered the energy I’ll never know, but what I do know is that I was afraid to cross the line. [Read more…]