How I wish my childhood could have been

I think most parents make a mess of their children.  

I was a twin and very early, I saw that I was different.    I saw how badly everyone else functioned so I worked out my own way of doing things.

My parents were useless.- mum, (I now suspect ASD) wasn't interested - from the age of 6 I had to look after myself.       My dad had no patience and resorted to violence as his first option - never any explanation, just violence - so I totally avoided him.   

At 5, my infant teacher spotted my super-abilities and wanted me to go to a special school for the gifted but parents had no money and my brother's health meant we had to move down South for warmer weather - I got stuck in the worst-performing local school when we moved.

I became very independent - I didn't need their craziness.       I developed the skills to do things like Neo from 'The Matrix' - an eidetic memory - I would devour books from the library (this was late 60s / early 70s so the so the Apollo program and technology was big news) so if I've seen it, I've 100% learnt it.        

(For example, if you show me just 1 second of any 'How It's Made' program, I could tell you all about every detail of the thing being made!)

Most of my friends were quite well off and had all the good toys - but there's no way that I could ever have them so I learned to improvise - I could instantly gain skills and expertise to do expensive things for no money and get the same results - like building radio controlled planes from buying some sticks of balsa and creating my own plans.

From the age of around 12, I developed a big, extrovert mask (I noticed introverts get bullied) and that got me through life.

I only started to connect with my dad when I was married with a kid on the way - we just started to communicate - and then he dropped dead.

My mums behaviour changed after that - she became even more disengaged and sat on the sofa expecting everyone else to entertain her until she dropped dead 15 years later.        I can't say I feel anything over that except "I'm glad that's over."

I can't say my parents ever really bothered with me - even when my brother broke my nose (twice), they didn't even bother taking me to hospital.

I don't have anything to compare against but my wife says I had an unbelievably deprived childhood.         I disagree - their non-caring meant I had total freedom - which suited me fine.

Someone would be very lucky to be your apprentice. You must have a lot of knowledge and skill accumulated over the years. You didn't have the easiest start in life but you reacted well to it and adapted.

Someone would be very lucky to be your apprentice. You must have a lot of knowledge and skill accumulated over the years. You didn't have the easiest start in life but you reacted well to it and adapted.

To share my skills I became an explorer scout leader, a STEM ambassador, careers advisor, literacy mentor and was runner-up in my company's volunteer of the year.