I suddenly seriously appreciate the shit-show my childhood was. I knew very early on how really disgusting and terrible this world still is, even in America, especially within patriarchy. I had to learn to find and create the good in my world.
As an adult I've realized we all have to learn to find and create the good in our world. That didn't make me special. I think I just lucked out on never having to one day *realize* the seriously sickening reality I lived in my past.