This really hit me hard while responding to another thread so I thought I'd write it out here so as not to steal Andy's thread

it's not about S/A - it's about the physical abuse I had to endure as a kid - and I hope it's ok for me to talk it out here cause i really have no one else to talk it out with right now

what I need to get out of me is the fact that I "know" that the neighbors knew that things were very bad in the house I grew up in - how do I know that? - let me explain...

we had a elderly neighbor lady lived in the house next to us on the downhill side - I used to shovel her sidewalk in the winter for her and mow her lawn in the summertime - I can clearly remember 1 time when she said to me that she was "sorry" that things was so bad in my house and that I really should try harder to not make my mom so mad at me - I can remember just hanging my head in shame and saying back "Yes Maam - I'll try my best"

The neighbor uphill from our house had a boy who was 1 year younger than me - we played together a fair amount for the first year after thay moved into town - but it ended one day when his dad said to me "I don't want you being a bad influence on my son - I can HEAR how much trouble you are in your own home" - I walked away in shame and me and Harry never played together again after that

the neighbor in the house behind the one I grew up in stopped me one day while I was mowing his lawn and said to me "boy - you must have been real bad the other day - your momma sure did give you a teachin did'nt she?" - again I just hung my head in shame and kept on mowing the lawn

Even the neighbor across the street (the neighbor that I looked up to the most as a kid) said to me one day that he was sorry that mom was so hard on me - said that he could hear me yelling in pain clean across the street from inside his house - it just kills me that I again hung my head in shame and said "I guess I deserved it" and just walked away from him

all these neighbors knew - all of them - yet none of them did anything about it

just hurts - just hurts real bad

Hi, TJ. That was painful to read, knowing what you were going through with it. And seeing the pic in your avatar of a little boy who was so totally innocent and deserved none of that crap. I'm sorry you went through that, but I know that doesn't ease it any.

My father was physically abusive as well, so I can relate on some level to what you are saying. We lived in a 1900's era Victorian house which had been split into, to make a duplex. On the other side lived an elderly widow lady, Mrs. Tudor. I'm sure she understood a lot more than she ever let on, as she would let me spend a lot of time in her side of the house with her, just sitting and talking with her about anything. She was a dear, dear sweet lady. When I was about 10, she fell and broke her hip and I'm the one who heard her crying out for help and went and found her. It was the last time I ever saw her, as she went into a nursing home and died after that.

I'm sorry, I feel like I'm rambling off topic from what your original intent was, but wanted to talk about her for moment. I'm not sure if any of our other neighbors knew what was going on, but I can't imagine that they didn't unless they were just totally clueless. Times being what they were, though, I think people just looked the other way most of the time back then.

TJ
I am SO...SO...SO sorry. I know the hurt you are feeling...my dad used to beat me with a hanger all the time, it left welts, sometimes opening the skin, all up and down the backs of my legs and my entire butt (he made me strip naked for the beating)...and it was ALWAYS my fault...I could never wear shorts cause someone would have seen.

I'm SO...SO...SO sorry!

buzz

TJ,

I'm so sorry. I can identify with every aspect of your post. My father was notoriously violent with us kids. Everyone knew that we were going through hell on earth, yet it was not a sin or a crime to beat the shit out of your own kids. It truly was not!!!! My dad would kick me so hard that my feet would leave the floor. Sometimes he'd even do that in front of other adults and be proud of his parenting methods.

I need to shout-out a theraputic "FUCK YOU, YOU'LL BURN IN HELL!!!!" to all the parents out there who were/are like that.

I actually think I was just as traumatized by the physical abuse as I was the SA.

I'm so sorry you are feeling this pain today...but I'm glad you shared it. I can handle it with you!

EGL,

I am glad that that lady gave you a place to escape to - though I sure wish she had done something to stop what your dad was doing - i guess it's just the way things was back then - neighbors just did'nt interfere with others bussiness

Buzz,

I just want to say how sorry I am too that your dad beat you so bad - no kid could ever do anything that would justify a beating like that

My mom mostly used a stick that she kept in the microwave cart just for the specific purpose of "spankings" - it was a 3/4" x 1 1/2" x 16" piece of oak - like your dad, mom always made me stip down too - I think she actualy liked to be able to see the pain she was inflicting upon me - she always gave out a number that I would have to count to her as she spanked me without moving or yelling out - otherwise I would have to start back from 1 again - took me till I was in my teens to be able to make it to 100 without moving or making a sound

TJ,

I feel nothing but contempt for all of those "neighbors" right now. I would love to go to each of their houses, lecture them down to where they feel six inches tall and then whack each one of them over the head with a copy of Pelzer's book!

Andy

Robbie,

as I read your post it just hit me...

I cannot even begin to count the number of times it was told to me as a kid "what happens behind closed doors - stays behind closed doors" - it's no wonder I never said anything

I'm real sorry your dad was so bad to you too

my folks have bragged many times over the years about how they "disciplined" me and how that "discipline" has made me into the good person that I am today (geezz... - just typing that out makes me so F'ing mad!!!) - they really don't see any of what was done as being abusive in any way, shape, or form

sometimes I think perhaps the Phyical and Mental abuse by mom has effected me even more than the S/A by her youngest brother

TJ (and Eddie, and Buzz and Rob),

It pains me so badly to read your comments about your neighbors. How incredibly damaging - to have people know and yet to feel it was all your fault.

Keep speaking the truth Jeff. Hold onto Little Jeff and keep speaking the truth! It was wrong - SO wrong. You deserved a lot better.

Much love,
Larry

Larry,



One thing that comes to my mind about all these people is if they acknowledged it in any way, they know they would have had to step in and do something about it. It's much easier to deny it's their problem when they blame the victim. Creeps..

Not long ago, I attended my father's 80th birthday party. My father's wife had invited ALL of the old crew from the old neighborhood. All the key players attended. Upon seeing them all, I was an emotional wreck.

Here were all the people whom: 1) turned a blind eye to my father's psychotic beatings and outbursts, 2) criticized ME for being the "bad kid" of the nieghborhood and 3) did nothing about the SA when one of them SAW IT TWICE!!!

Sorry to be so negative today...but this topic really gets me going.