I remember right after my sister and I got bunk beds, so it must have been when I was 5 or 6, we watched Unsolved Mysteries. Now, I know what you might be thinking. Melinda, your parents let you watch that when you were a kid? Well, not exactly. They must have been asleep or something. I don't think my parents knew how obsessed we were with that show. One night, after my sister and I went to our room to go to sleep, and of course after our Unsolved Mysteries, I guys my sister was shaking really hard to crying like a baby or something (she was 10) because my dad came in and asked what was wrong. My sister asked my dad to force ME to sleep with my sister because she was scared. Keep in mind, my sister and I just finished watching the same show. I was halfway asleep and had to climb onto the top bunk to sleep with my scared-EE cat big sister.
Don't worry. That is the only experience that I remember my sister being scared, so don't worry Amanda. I won't make you look totally pathetic.
I also had my stage of fear. I thought OJ Simpson was going to kill me. My brother helped me by saying that it was okay because he lived in LA, farther away than Disneyland. I was a little paranoid after 1993/94. It wasn't until I started studying and reading about murder in my criminalistics class that I started to overcome my paranoia. Now don't worry because I realize bad things like that happen to people that put themselves in that situation.
My whole point to this, is this story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Susan_Powell
It's the story of the missing lady Susan Powell. On February 5, her husband killed himself and his two sons. I was devastated. I just couldn't imagine the loss for Susan's family losing both their daughter and two grandsons. The worst part for me was to find out that the father, Josh Powell tried to kill his boys by taking a hatchet to their necks, but their cause of death was smoke inhalation. Can you even imagine what was going through those kids' minds before the fire started?
Then I just a got a book from the library on Saturday and stayed up until 2AM finishing it.
It is about a girl telling a story about how she grew up with her father and the event that happened after she found out that he was a Serial Killer. Her life is great now. She married a wonderful guy that she met at an LDS dance and was baptized after they were married. It is just a really good book from her point of view.
She went through a lot. Her father and mother appeared to have a fairly okay marriage. Then they got divorced. Her father was on the road all the time because he was a long distance truck driver (and murderer and sexual assaulter along the way). Her mother remarried an abusive deaf man, she lived in her grandmother's 300 square foot basement with 9 other people, was raped, got pregnant, and had an abortion (all forced by her boyfriend) and found out her father was a serial killer. A lot to take in in one year? Yeah. I'd say so.
And look at me. I was afraid of OJ Simpson.
Her story was about faith in overcoming everything. I think her biggest turning point was going on the Dr. Phil show. She was carrying so much guilt for what her father did. Imagine having that fear from day to day?
And I feared OJ Simpson would be hiding behind the couch.
Anyway, thanks dad, for not being a serial killer. I feel like I have very little to worry about compared to a lot of people. I have no reason to complain. I mean, look at all the things I complain about. People listening to their ipods while walking to class. Dude, I'm lame.
