Living as a child, I looked up to adults, because I was short and they were taller. Not only that, but my parents lead me to believe adults had the authority to know what was right and what was wrong. That I should listen to them because they had a heck of a lot more experiences and especially teachers had college educations and were worldly and knew a lot more than I!

My insanity started long ago and I wasn't insane until I started school.  I wasn't insane at first, they conditioned me into insanity. The education system has no room for those who think differently and I was one of those. I am still one of those and finally I had a moment of clarity or several along the way and made some changes. I continue to make changes.  One of the biggest was don't take anything, that stopped my downhill roller coaster ride to self destruction!

The disdain for myself came from years in the public school system  where I was marginalized by administrators, staff, educators and my peers. They would tell me over and over that  feelings I expressed were imaginary, that I made them up all without investigating to see if they were in fact real! And they were real. But because I was told that my own nature was impossible, that sent me into despair and desolation, self rejection and self punishment. I was cast into a the a pool of confusion and chaos. I was being made into a crazy person because no one could figure out what kind of sanity I was operating in.

The people who were supposed to be helping me were making me insane.They told me I was behaving badly, that I was doing so on purpose and in spite of them, that I was a hateful child. They said things like "if you don't straighten up, you will end up in jail for crimes against society. And that is what happened! Because they told me who I would become, I became that person because adults at the time were the authority and they knew what was right and what was wrong. I must be wrong, they said so. When I became wrong on purpose, it was to shut them out. I did a good job of it, but in doing so, I also deprived myself of growing up and had to do that when there were some interventions. They stopped my roller coaster ride to self destruction.

A psychologist once told me she was surprised I was not in prison with an extended sentence. I avoided that at all costs, although I was arrested and went to trial many times, there were almost always some circumstances that weighed in on my cases. Thank goodness I didn't kill anyone. Notice how I said not kill anyone? That is  because I used to hurt others and myself. I certainly hurt myself the most. I stunted my emerging from childhood, from adolescents and into adulthood by a couple of decades! It has taken a long time to slow down  my self  abusive nature. I am still struggling with it. I have still been on a downhill ride with sugar and food that is not good for me, probably the basis of my whole makeup! I am not making huge changes, just little adjustments, 2 steps forward, 1 step back kind of exercises.
I did lots of one or two, or 3 day jail stays. One time I ended up in a straightjacket in a rubber room on a 5150. That was when I was 22. That was 41 years ago. I vowed never to be put into that kind of situation again, ever!

I have to keep putting my age in front of my face to believe that I am 63 going on 25. It is hard to imagine, but I am getting the picture. My inner adolescent tells me things, and inner child is there too. And I am sad that I spent so much of my younger life insane with frustration, pain and anger. Explosive anger that almost always got me in jail, even landed in jail when I was maybe 45 or so. The police were real nice about it, they kept telling me I didn't have to go if I did or said something, except my stubborn streak came in and it wouldn't let me do what they said to keep me from going. I don't think I even listened or if I did, I didn't consider all the options.  I have struggled with everything since I went to public schools. I would have faired no better if I had gone to private schools. I probably would have been on a slow burn there too, except they would likely have kept me longer to keep the money rolling in from my parents. There was a point my father wanted to send me away to military academy! That would have changed everything or made it turn over much faster. It is what it is. I am who I am from the forming I received in my earlier life. It is at the core of my process, but change is also taking place and I am grateful for the ability to look into changing.

I resist change as much as anyone. There is a difference though it seems to me. Some of us recognize that change is inevitable and we must help ourselves along this path toward the ultimate change of our spirit leaving our bodies.