I Came From A Hell Of A Family!

I Came From A Hell Of A Family!
By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

Photo of me being silly ... you know ... life is life ... we are what we are ... no matter how one tries to pretend they are something else.  I am myself ... and that's the way it is.  I hope people will like me, if they don't ... I hope they will decide to.  I am a good person, regardless of where I come from.  Looking back, I can see the humor in the Hell I grew up in, also.  There was some good things ... sometimes.


　

When I'm dead, and gone ... you are going to wish you'd been good! Oh, Grandma, you're never going to be ... dead and gone, never!

My Grandma Alma would always say that, and say ... when I'm dead and gone, you are going to miss me. I just thought she was saying that ... you know how ... old people are! They are always talking like ... they know everything!

Even George thought he knew everything! You are going to wish you had listened to me, he'd say. Blah, blah, blah. As much as I loved my Grandma Alma, George ... I ... was the one who ... knew it all!

I wonder how in the world they ever stood all of us kids? They never complained. When I saw tears was when one of the mothers would come get us, take us away for God knows how long. Some grandchildren they never saw again ... for the rest of their life. I could see the pain in Grandma Alma's eyes.

It's a good thing Grandma Alma couldn't walk ... she had five daughters who gave her a time ... especially four of them. She would have done some ... serious ass-kicking. She was a force to be reckoned with in the shape she was in.

Grandma Alma was paralyzed, and she could throw a mean glass of water, though! Not only that ... she could lay a cussing on someone that make the flowers wilt. Not that she liked to ... but, what else could a paralyzed woman do in a world she couldn't control. I'd break ... some kind of bad, too! I'd crawl to whip me an ass! Low-crawl! (Tommy and Skip taught me that word, what it means! :)

Poor Grandma Alma, and George. What a pathetic life they had ... everyone else determined what their days were going to be like. If they wanted a peaceful day ... someone would come in to raise Hell ... the devil lived in that house. There was never no peace.

They were only two ... they were out-numbered by the many family members who came to 'stage a show' in the center of their sitting room. More blood was on that old, wooden floor than anyone could shake a stick at!

Hair was pulled, teeth gnashed, and the God-awful sounds came from someone beating the hell out of the other. The strange thing was ... all the Hell was never beaten out of anyone. I still carry a little of that Hell in me to this day.

I have a very high temper ... the good thing is, I've learned to control it. It's very rare do I lose it ... and when I lose it ... I want to get out of Dodge. I inherited that famous temper ... I'm not proud of it at all. The only time it's a good thing is ... when I ... need to take care of business ... I will ... hold my ground.

All of my family members had a 'hell of a temper'... and they always held their ground. I don't know of one, when looking back ... who would walk away when someone tried to dominate them ... no matter how little they were. If for any reason someone did ... that person had better watch out later on in life. If I did, I would just smile ... and be patient.

It's no fun being angry. I grew up in a quiet way, when I could control my world. I have never liked to hear angry voices ... it makes my stomach feel shaky ... and if I hear someone hit the other ... I feel anger. What kind of reaction is that?

Anyway, I love peace ... not many of my family members did. There were always instigators who thrived on the excitement of another family member or 'friend's' .... turmoil, unhappiness. They would wear a gleeful smile on their faces. I think of several ones right this moment ... see their expressions in my mind. Some of them could be pure evil ...

I just don't like to hurt anyone physically ... or mentally. I will do all I can ... to not hurt anyone. On the other hand ... if I'm pushed, dominated, treated bad ... all Hell's going to break out. It's the way I am ... I have to be a damn to my own Hell. It was born in me.

I've heard people all my life say, "Gloria, you're too sweet to ever get mad". All I could do was smile sweetly ...

I'm not proud of having Hell in me ... but, whether I like it, or anyone else likes it ... it's there, and has been since the moment I was brought into this world. I came from a Hell of a family!

　

Note by this author:

I came from a hell of a family, that's true. But ... I loved everyone of them. Everyone had a good heart when they weren't angry, or hating. We were all born that way, hated to see it in the other. No one could ever be close because ... everyone was too much ... alike.

They'd give you the shirt off their back, but ... if you pissed them off ... they'd damn sure take it back! I can see the humor in some of it ... I smile even now. I wish they were all living again. I wasn't afraid of the ... big, bad wolf.

There's not one that I wouldn't welcome back ... no matter how mean. Everyone of my family members had a place in my Heart. I wish they hadn't ... died. They loved life, too.

Photo... Story Credit: Is mine, both are owned by me. Gloria Faye Brown Bates/ aka &grannygee