I'm so sick of religious groups self righteous bigotry and UNenlightened vilification of anything that falls outside their set of norms. I don't even think their Cheezus Christ would approve of their bullshit.
Many of us who survived childhoods in redneck towns had our childhoods stolen from us, parents who rejected, neglected and worse. I did seriously contemplate suicide. And I'll tell you the ultimate irony especially in light of this story, that turned me around.
I had run away from home at 16. I hitchhiked 1000 miles to the coast. I had all the echoes of all the years of merciless taunting I'd tolerated. I had horrific memories of my mother telling me "Love you? I don't even like you anymore!" I was so PTSD'd from all the shoving, rejection and tellling me that I was the worst thing anyone could possibly be. And I had my dad's murder attempt fresh in my mind. I contemplated ending it all.
But then a catholic priest picked me up and gave me a ride to the next rest stop. There, ... he wanted to see my pee-pee.(wow! god works in strange and mysterious way) Suddenly I wasn't so weird and conflicted after all.
I dumpster dived. I lived on the buses, freeway easements and underpasses. I showered at the beach. I kept a chunk of coal to keep my peach fuzz "colored" and make me look older. I ate fries left over at the fast food joints. I nearly froze to death, I got beat up real bad one night, I had a bus driver kick me off the bus in the rain for sleeping in the back. None of it mattered to me. I got stoned with the hippies in the park. I scrounged for mussels at the beach. And I finally, nearly a year later, found I kindly old man to take me in.
It was tough, but I wouldn't trade those years for anything. Anything was better than "home".
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