Part 3 - Roots

"Perfect" - Simple Plan

So I guess I should fill you in on a bit of my background and history. Although this may take a while; bear with me. It’s a, hopefully, worthwhile story (and maybe even a little bit of an interesting read), that will help you to understand more about me.

My parents both come from pretty conservative catholic families. I’m actually one of the few rare "Protestants" in the family. They met when they were both 16 years old, and still at school, and were married by the age of 19, only a short year after my Father had entered the Royal Air Force. He comes from a long line of service-men, and took that to be his only available career opportunity. My Mother fell pregnant with me shortly before her 21st Birthday, and in 1986, I came into the world.

My Mother came from a very stable family, with one younger, and one older brother. From what she tells me, she had a pretty normal upbringing, although religion did play a bigger part in her life than it has ever played in mine. Through her closeness with her family, I have developed an amazing relationship with my Grandparents. I love them both dearly, and am grateful for the hand that they had in my up-bringing, particularly during those long school holidays when my Mom had to work, so I was sent packing to stay with my Grandparents about 100 miles away.

My Father, however, came from a much less balanced environment. He is the youngest of four children, having three older sisters; the oldest of which is almost 20 years his senior. He had a slightly over strict and barren upbringing, with a fractured, and often turbulent, relationship with his parents. He eventually left home at 14 years of age, and went to live with his oldest sister (Aunty Number 1), who herself was then married with her first child on the way. I never really knew my Father’s parents growing up, except as people my Dad wanted as little contact with as possible, and have never really thought of them as my Grandparents. Although, little did I know, how big a part they would play in my life in more recent years.

I got "The Gene" from my Father. He was only officially diagnosed a short time after I was, but through his unsettled beginnings in life, and rather troubled outlook, it is obvious that he has suffered with this condition for an unbelievable amount of years. He claims that depression has little bearing on his life now-a-days, but, largely due to my own self-awareness, I can still see it, lurking over his shoulder a few too many times. He’s had a mostly rocky marriage to my Mother, although it is often easily observed how much they genuinely care for each other. I can’t say he’s been the best of Fathers, but what counts is that he’s strived to be the best possible parent that he can be.

I believe that clinical depression can be hereditary, but, that the environment, your up-bringing, and life events, can decide whether or not you will actually suffer the symptoms of the disorder. This is only my opinion, but one that I feel is an educated opinion, and something I will share and explain more in the next part of my Blog.