Growing up in lead-contaminated area may alter personality, study says

[hunter]

5. I was totally screwed.

I grew up living near the world's busiest freeways at the peak of the leaded gasoline and paint and water pipe era.

And god knows what was in the fish we ate that my dad caught in Santa Monica Bay. That was 80% of the animal protein me and my siblings consumed as children.

I still think quitting high school was one of the better decisions I've ever made in my life.

Yes, I was some kind of delinquent. Whenever I could figure out a way to escape school I did, starting in the seventh grade.

Those poor pathetic fools and their "perfect attendance" awards.

Granted, about a third of those absences I was in the hospital.

Curiously among my siblings it's me and a sister, another high school dropout, who landed the higher power university degrees.

Can't claim to be "successful" but unlike my childhood, not me or any of my siblings are worrying about the price of groceries.

I'm a rice and beans kind of guy anyways. Well taught by my crazy artist parents.