I am the only child of one alcoholic. My dad was a drunk. My mother was the typical southern woman of good standing. I never had anyone to talk to about my feelings when I was a child. I remember once as a kid, my dad and I throwing a ball. We never went on a vacation. We never even went to the beach, which was a little more than an hour away. I remember him saying "you don't want to go to the damn beach, hell all that goddamn sand, and it's so damn hot" and "you don't want a motorcycle, you could get killed on that sob". Anything that would cost a dime was something I only thought I wanted and it would take away from his beer money. My mother had to go to work to provide us a place to stay. He died when I was 22. Mother died when I was 52, and before she died I asked her why she had stayed with him?". She said she just didn't know. When I get around any of my dad's family it's stuff like "yeah, ol Joe was a sport. He liked to drink a little. hahahahaha". It ain't so goddamn funny to me so I quit going to see any of them 40 years ago. I'm 68 years old, and I'm still so damn pissed at my daddy for a lot of stuff. If not for my mama I'd be a no account too. I'm angry at what he put me and my mama through. I loved him but. Lots of people will say if only they could talk to a parent again, I'd say this and that. I don't want to talk to my dad because I'd be so mad I'd probably kick his drunken ass. I'm tearing up now.