It has become apparent to me in recent years that a childhood spent under a constant barrage of attacks from family and school peers alike has conditioned me to expect an attack with every verbal interaction. That this expectation primes me to counter-attack every word uttered at me, down to every bland greeting of “Have a nice day” that I encounter in life. This revelation comes on me like a shock now that I see it. How have I missed this all these years?
You there in the back. Yes, you. You can stop laughing now.
