Learned Behavior

Good parents teach their children how to manage simple and complex tasks. Children learn more things through observation, some of which they shouldn’t because the sights, sounds, and smells reappear at inopportune times.

I don’t know if I’m naturally combative or if I learned it from my parents. I don’t know if my temper is part of my DNA or I learned how to deal with people and situations from my mother and her explosive temper. My younger brother and I received the brunt of mother’s wrath and rage. My youngest brother was spared, maybe because of my challenging and questioning her as I grew older.

I don’t like how I used to and in some instances handle myself when I’m angry. I grew up in a large and boisterous family. The mode of communication could quickly gravitate from loud and joking, to vindictive and stormy within an hour over a card game or if one of the grandchildren said or did something to another.

How much does environment shape lives? I know my earliest family and southern Bible-belt experiences have affected me.