Alex wasn't always the model son. In fact, starting with an argument with his mom, he left home, moved into his friend Jdog's cold unfinished basement, quit college and didn't speak to either parent for almost a year.
His parents reacted by remodeling his room into an office and purchasing a dachshund which they called "Alex". Alex always used this as proof they were insane.
But Alex was no prize. The argument with his mom started with Alex coming home very late one weeknight totally drunk. At the time he was a senior in college and had recently fallen out of a tree during a college party, and was wearing a cast on his right leg and walking with crutches.
His parents must have been waiting up for him, because mom was wide awake as she came out of her bedroom to begin her yelling spree. Alex had gone to the refrigerator, poured himself a glass of milk, and left the dirty glass in the sink.
"Who do you think you are leaving this dish for?", his mom asked in a yelling tone. Alex was too drunk and too tired to argue, so he quietly washed the dish while his mom continued yelling. And she continued, and continued, and continued until finally Alex yelled back "SHUT UP!"
She continued yelling louder and Alex continued replying "JUST SHUT UP!"
Alex's dad got into the picture now. He came running out of the bedroom screaming "DON'T TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT!", to which Alex replied in a lower voice as he walked past him and into his room "You shut up too!"
This infuriated his dad, which scared Alex, but for the first time in his life he stood up to his dad's anger and shouted "FU ", to which he replied in kind.
Finally, after a few exchanges of the F-Bomb, his dad said "As soon as you get that cast off your leg, I want you out of this house."
Now although he was being cast out (pun intended) of his home penniless, he wasn't devastated, instead he was relieved. This was the psychological permission Alex needed and even though his dad's words were said in anger, and would most likely be retracted upon an apology, in his mind Alex was released, free to go, and he moved out the next morning.
This inappropriate exit was to repeat itself again and again later in life. He wished he wasn't such a coward, needing permission to get out of a bad situation.
Alex started out his freedom sleeping on a cot, in a NY winter, in a unfinished, unheated basement, drinking himself to sleep at night in best friend Jdog's house.
Life was good and some of his best memories were from those days.
Alex's family was poor, but Jdog's was poorer. His dad had recently died of a heart attack at 48 and left the family with some debt, some serious debt. It was the kind of debt that you can get your legs broken for. You know what I mean?
.....
To be continued.
Later,
Steve
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