Member-only story
“It’s strange how you give people you love so much power over you.”
I wonder when do people realize that their family is weird. For me, it’s 2020 (2020 is weird too), when I am 25 years old.
Childhood is like a long hypnosis period when you take in everything as normal and never question them. I never asked why we don’t go out and eat at restaurants. I never asked why my uncle comes to our house but we never go visit his place. I never asked why I had to learn manipulative strategies to negotiate with my dad when he and my mom should work out their child support agreement between them. I never asked why when I very nervously signed up for a dance performance in middle school, my mom’s advice was don’t do it you’ll only embarrass yourself.
Tara didn’t know that going to the hospital is not against god’s will. She didn’t know she should wash her hands after using the bathroom because her dad always laughed at the idea and said he’s not teaching his kids to pee on their hands. She didn’t know that there is no end of the world and the feds are not going to hunt everyone down like Ruby Ridge. She didn’t know that wanting to look beautiful and sexy does not make her an ungodly whore. She didn’t know that her mother always supported and enabled her abusive father and believes Tara is unhinged and a sinner.
