In an Irish Catholic family, I was the ninth child. The day my mom found out she was pregnant again, she prayed for a miscarriage. Instead my older brother was hit by a car and almost died. Same day, you can’t make this shit up.

I wish I didn’t know this stuff, but I am that unwanted kid. I know what it feels like to be emotionally abused. My dad wanted me, but died just after I turned 13. That was when things fell apart for me. I had no protection. My oldest brother was 13 yrs. older, and was physically abusive. I was beaten. I had garbage dumped in my room. While I washed dishes, he stood behind me saying “Bitch, bitch , bitch!” While stabbing a ham bone. He turned off the main and threatened to kill us all, but my mom didn’t throw him out- just took us for a ride in the car.

Well, I was 13. Maybe just over sensitive. Maybe being told I was unwanted as a teen was just teenage angst. Despite my suicidal thoughts, despite everything, maybe I really was the problem.
Maybe my mom didn’t mean the things she said, she was in pain. She was depressed. Blah blah blah. I loved my mom. I did.


So, I don’t,know, 40 years later? Trying to get rid of my mom’s hoarding, I threw out waist high newspapers while making sure nothing important lingered. Got to the basement- finally only to find her list of things to do, from years earlier, and fifth on the list? Learn to love cate94. Argh.
So my point of view? Forcing people to have children is bad for the children. Forced birth sucks.

My decent siblings are horrified of the notion that I’d be better off as an abortion statistic, but me? I’m not so sure.

A Father’s Day get together, with my BIL, SIL, niece and her husband and of course my wife and her 90 yr old mother. All of them are right wingers except us, which is annoying in and of itself, but the subject of Covid came up. On this subject, I must give my BIL props, because he is educated and careful.

OTOH, our niece’s husband is off the wall. He is a tech director at a school. What if half the teachers claim a pre-existing condition and don’t show up for work? Blah, blah, blah. I managed to argue his points without losing my temper, until he said “some people want things to open up and get back to normal.”

What kind of a wimp can’t manage to wear a mask and social distance? What kind of a jerk doesn’t concern themselves with the vulnerable around them? Like the Spanish flu in 1918, the second wave is going to be worse, are you prepared for that? (I’m looking at a deer in headlights...) wife says “That was a long time ago.” Look it the fuck up. Same shit different day. People open things up too early and the second wave is far more deadly. The majority of people in this room are vulnerable. Who would you be willing to sacrifice? Honestly, there are people living in poverty that don’t have the luxury of social distancing. People in war zones dealing with far more shit than this but “some people” can’t bear wearing a face mask? Or staying six feet away? What absolute fucking wimps. ‘Some people” need to grow the fuck up.