Lucky Draw

I didn’t choose my parents. Nobody does. The process is closer to a raffle than an interview, and I drew a winning ticket before I could even hold a spoon. Plenty of people don’t. Some are orphaned. Some are raised by parents who are neglectful, cruel, or simply elsewhere. Some get the best parents in the county and lose them early. Every ticket is in the drum. I think about this when I see a child acting out with real malice. It’s rarely in the blood. Even Charles Manson had a wrecked childhood to point to. Broken people tend to be made by broken people, who were made by broken people, and the cycle keeps meticulous books. The Parent Who Is Home But Not HereThe old villain may well have been the parent who hit or the parent who died. The new one may be the parent who stays and isn’t present. I can’t prove it, and the CDC’s own epidemiologist says her survey can’t establish cause and effect. But the trend lines are hard to ignore. Nearly half of U.S. adults report loneliness, and…

Commenting on Bubbles has been removed. Why? If you want to talk about this post, write to the author, use the comments on their blog if it has them, or reply with a "RE:" post on your own blog. Suggestions? feedback@bubbles.town