ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discusses her experiences as the last of the three children, as she grew up in a fairly conservative family just south of Richmond, Virginia. Due to conflicting schedules and inconvenient circumstances, she never felt very connected with her immediate family as her granddaddy was always the first on call any time her parents were too busy. When she finally worked up the courage to tell them about Lynne, her girlfriend, they seemed disappointed, but they never raised their voices. She talks about her friendship with a guy, an episode after which she emerged a toxic relationship between alcohol and herself, and the dependency she suffered for many years. The author also expresses all the self-destructive habits that almost landed her in jail, her heartbreak and failures in intimacy. These lessons have sculpted her into the strong, fearless, queer woman that she had become, someone who would make her granddaddy proud.
