My very good friend Bill’s father knocked all of his teeth out when he was 14 years old (just one incident; the abuse was brutal, constant, and specifically targeted at THIS child. Not his siblings). He left and never looked back. Where I felt the need to “play my role” many, MANY times throughout the years to keep the peace, Bill felt none of that and to this day (he’s 65; his dad’s been gone 20 years or so now) he tells it like it is. His mother is still living. He won’t be at her funeral either.

He’s kind of my hero.

I worry way too much about how my actions might affect other people I care about to have the stones to just say it like it is (though i am genuinely sad about dad…there were other things while i was down for his service that required very vigorous biting of the tongue)…not bill. :)