My Dad's an Ass

Family Conflict

My Dad’s an Ass

             I awoke one morning last week to the phone ringing in my grandparent’s basement.  It was my father at the other end, drunk as freaking heck.  I haven’t spent a whole lot of time with my dad since I moved out like six years ago and he’s never really seemed like a loving father if you catch my drift. Anyway moving right along, I didn’t get two words in before he starts screaming into the phone at me.  He was saying it was my entire fault that he and his wife got divorced and that I was about to be responsible for him and his newest girlfriend breaking up.  He said a lot of other things too that didn’t have anything to do with his relationships. Just past events that he randomly was able to conjure up and use as fuel for his fire against me.  He continued to tell me how I was responsible for ruining everything in his life for the last five or six years and then wanted to fight me.  I can’t be sure what exactly happened to him but I definitely believe that my father hates me and has hated me for some time because even when I was able to find time to visit him he also treated me like shit.  Is it just because he’s always drunk or may I actually play a role in his unhappiness.  I know most would say he needs to stop drinking but it has been this way for quite some time.  I haven’t spoken to him since and it really seems like things are falling apart and I really don’t have time for this stuff.  I feel like I need to focus more on me right now but the more I do just that it seems like the relationships in my family are failing more and more by the day.

A Bit of Respect Perhaps?

A Bit of Respect Perhaps?

Family conflict

By: Justin Sherlock

My sister is 18 years old now and I have made it a point to do everything in power to keep her happy. I have gone out of the way to take blame for her and always do anything she asks of me. Now here’s the problem. Our mother moved away and left the car to me. At the same time she left the link card for me and my sister to split each month until the card expires. Well my sister decided that she was just going to go ahead and take the car. I was a little mad about it but I was able to let that go. Now she has decided not to split the link with me anymore evidently because she refused to give me the card. I understand that she needs it more than me but for the last two months she hasn’t so much as asked me if she could spend my half.
At this point it isn’t about the money or the car but the respect that she gives me. I was a little hurt and I got angry and said some pretty awful things to her. I feel like a hypocrite because I always say sibling should cherish what they have before they’re gone.
I feel bad and want to apologize but now I can’t find the words. I don’t really know how to approach this situation because she is really the reasonable type anyway. Then I found out she blew a rod in the car so now the car is useless. I feel like that wouldn’t have happened if I had the car but who knows? What should I do? It seems like she doesn’t realize the hell I’ve gone through for her and then I get treated like dirt. I want to forgive and forget but now I’m afraid it’s a little too late. How do you cope with a stressor like this? I just want my sissy to love and respect me the way I thought she always did.

Family Conflict

By: Justin Sherlock

Leaving so Soon?

My mother came to Peoria to visit from Florida. It had been a few months since she left so it was good to see her again. She’s leaving again and I noticed that my little brother is having trouble coping with this. I tried to find the right way to explain to him that people important to you will come and go throughout your life. I told him that as he grows up he is going to have to accept the fact that people have to make their own decisions for the better, even if that does mean going far away for a long time. I also told him that one day he will have to make a tough decision like this too. He will have to choose whether to stay where his friends and family are or move on to bigger and better opportunities.
Well now my mother is asking me to move to Florida with her. Now I am stuck with that tough decision I told my little brother about. I realized it is a lot easier said than done. I don’t know what to do because I feel like my family needs me here right now. How do you decide what to do in this situation? Is it something I have to discover for myself or is there like a set of rules for these kinds of things?

Brother Where Art Thou

Brother Where Art Thou

For those of you who have siblings out there, I wonder how many of you would say you can’t stand your brother or sister. Of course we probably don’t really mean that but say it only because we spend too much time in the same house. Well I can understand why many of you would feel that certainly, however what if the circumstances were reversed. What if instead of feeling annoyed that your little brother or sister is around, imagine feeling sad, depressed, or worried half of the time because you can’t see them?
When it comes to extended and blended families, sometimes things can change and become complicated very quickly. This can sometimes mean certain members of the family get separated. (I have experienced this happen to my family firsthand a few times in my life unfortunately)
When my mother married and divorced a second time it was far more difficult to cope with than when she got divorced the first time. This is because she had my youngest brother Randy Van Tortat. Well long story short my mother moved to Florida recently which complicated things to the max. Randy’s father has custody of him and through some contorted form of gossip his father was able to come up with a reason to keep us completely separated. It wouldn’t have mattered what was said anyway I’m sure because truth and lies alike were going to be used against me just so I could be singled out. At least that’s how I feel.
Furthermore, Randy and I get to talk on the phone sometimes if we’re lucky. I wish I could actually be there with him face to face but that’s very unlikely right now. Sometime soon when he gets a couple years older we’ll be able to see each other whenever we want. I just wish there was an easier way to deal with this problem. I love all three of my amazing siblings and I want to be able to look after them whenever I want, especially the youngest.
More toward the point, for my readers who just can’t stand that stupid little brat who will never leave you alone; how do feel after reading my story? Maybe brothers and sisters aren’t so bad after all. To those of you who can relate to my brother and I, how do you cope with a situation like this? Just remember not to push your brothers and sisters too far away because when it comes to family, being too little too late could mean the difference of seeing them everyday or even getting the chance to hear their voice.

Wisdom Comes With Age?

Family Conflict

                I am currently living with my grandparents.  This is certainly only temporary of course.  As soon as I get enough money saved up I’m outta that place.  You see if this keeps up my grandparents and I will drive each other crazy.

                They are literally trying to manage my whole life.  My grandmother actually wanted to put MY money in HER bank.  Nuh-uh, not ganna happen gramma.  They clearly don’t trust me very much.  I think that’s why we have so many problems meeting evenly on how to do things.  “You need to get a job!’ is what my grandpa always said and now I have a job.  Well, now it’s “You need to do something!”… Something? SOMETHING? Really? 

                Well, anyway I’ve tried to explain to them that things are way different now.  I mean my grandma leaves her cell phone in the trunk of her car.  Do anybody else’s grandparents do any of this stuff?  Is there a reason to why they’ll never be satisfied with what I do?

                Furthermore, it could be that they are just from a different time.  I wish they would try to get with the times now so that things would be easier for all of us but maybe that’s not fair to them.  On the other hand I wish they would stop treating me like I can’t do anything right, especially when they can’t even use a cell phone.  How do I get them to trust me more?