My dad was an absolute monster.
He would beat us
almost to death
with random objects
and do other things
I won’t mention here.
Everyone around us
thought he was the perfect dad.
They would tell me
I was ‘lucky’ to have him
as a parent
and then we would go home
and I would consider myself
‘lucky’
to live through the night.
You don’t truly know someone,
which is why
I never assume I DO know them.
If someone asks about a person,
I preface my reply
with qualifications or statements like
“When I met him…”
or
“He did this.”
or
“I only knew him as a co-worker.”
At the end of my recounting,
I’ll add
“That is my experience.
Others might have
different experiences.”
Because that’s the truth.
Others WILL have
different experiences.
And I don’t want
anyone to assume
I am THE expert
on a person,
a person who could turn out
to be someone like my dad
– a monster.
You don’t truly know
anyone.
Don’t assume that you do.