Families

Mike Perry's quotation of R.D. Laing on families, who has a lot to answer for about a lot of things, including romanticization of mental illness, reminds me of Phillip Larkin's bitter poem that begins:

They fuck you up, your mum and dad,

          They may not mean to, but they do

Larkin ends with this advice:

Get out as early as you can,

          And don't have any kids yourself.

Well, so much for families, I guess. But maybe even Larkin and Laing would admit that orphanges, foster homes, and the streets will fuck you up, too. And maybe they would acknbowledge that with parents, or someone like parents who love you, you have a chance of becoming a person.

-- Mark