Adoptee here. Born and raised in 70’s. What dramatically shaped my childhood was my mother constantly reminding me that she could and would, “take me back where I came from”. I was very well provided for and most people would say I was, “spoiled”. They knew my mother was a little high strung but no one knew how insidious her abuse really was. One example is she angrily packed my suitcase one day to send me “back” and told me that she wouldn’t need to pack me any dresses because I wouldn’t need anything nice where I was going. My daddy came home and had a FIT. My dad was my lifeline when I was growing up taking me with him everywhere. Even just going outside to change the oil or mow the lawn with him helped ease my nerves. I should mention that this daddy is not the one that adopted me! He’s the one my mom married after my original dad passed away. He was/is the best man I have ever known. I gave him a kidney in 2009.

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Final score:

44points

JelliTate

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Reading donald duck comic books. Seeing the character Gyro and how amazing his inventions were made me want to be a scientist. And in my child mind the way to become a scientist was to study and be as nerdy as I can be. So I started imitating the weird way nerdy kids talked in tv shows (think double D from ed edd and eddy), participating in nerdy hobbies, and working so hard to be a straight A student just so that I can be a scientist like Gyro. Unfortunatly, all that got me was no friends, being bullied a lot in school and a whole lot of unrealistic expectations from my parents and teachers that I failed to achieve. Problem is that I am still trying to achieve this goal (7 years in uni still trying to get a bachelors degree and counting) even though in my mind it turned into nothing but a curse instead of a dream. maybe once I actually achieve it it will be all worth it.

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Final score:

23points

Elliot Fowler

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When my mother asks me why I am not as pretty or as bright as my classmate. It shaped my entire childhood with low self esteem to the point where there are times when the default action was doing what she wanted me to do rather than me, being reasonably independent.

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Final score:

22points

Hannah Joyce Desoloc

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Mom hugs.
Cooking with maternal grandmother.
Watching sunsets with my dog.
Learning to dance from my mom, with the vacuum as a "partner", to her fave tunes on vinyl.
The combined smell of wild strawberry blossoms and the hayfield.

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Final score:

20points

Leo Domitrix

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There are so many carry over's from my childhood. One I'll do to my dieing day. We never left the house, ever, without a sturdy piece of cardboard with our name, address and phone number in one of our pockets. I always have I.D. on my person. My momma, she didn't pull any punches. When I asked her why, she said she didn't want to have to identify my (our bodies, brother & sister's) body at the morgue if anything ever happened to use. Back in the day, she also made sure we had money for the payphone, if we ever needed to call home. Miss you Momma.

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Final score:

18points

Inside looking out

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Singing the Tickety toc theme song while dancing with my giant white teddy bear in my Winnie-the-Pooh themed room.
My dad throwing me up in the air above the couch with the Lumineers playing
My mom putting on Bo on the Go while making dinner
The occasional visit’s to the children’s museum
Going to my dad’s office on my days off school

Those were the days.

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Final score:

17points

Happi doggi (all pronouns)

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Being bullied all day at school, coming home and being bullied by my older sister.It was hell.

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Final score:

17points

Kay blue

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Okay so, when i was younger, my dad would yell at my brothers a lot, and sometimes my mom too. And I guess that just made me not to get yelled at and made me scared whenever someone would yell.

For example: one time I was in school (7th grade) a teacher asked me where I was going in a really loud and mad voice. I thought it was my dad for a second and I started crying and panicking.

I’ve started recovering since then, and I’m slowly starting to stand up for myself more, but yelling definitely shaped me as a child… I had lots of panic attacks when people yelled too… I’m having less of them, fortunately.

Anyways, thats my story I guess.

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Final score:

16points

Amelia Joy

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The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, Sunday night, 7:00 P.M., February 9, 1964, changed my world! Everything in every day life fell away and showed me music & fun! Over night there was more to life than dad going to work every day, mom always cleaning, me spending every day in school. Suddenly, there was a whole universe of possibilities, and all the music over the entire world became available and accessible. “I Wanna Hold Your Hand . . . .” Thanks, guys! (And I'm still playing & singing!)

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Final score:

16points

Octavia Hansen

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The love of all kinds of music my mother passed down to us kids. Everything from big band/swing, to singers like Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, Petula Clark to The Who , The Rolling Stones (her favourite rock band), to Motown, and then some.
When one of my brothers bought an album by The Tubers - he had her listen to a song they sang in Spanish. She liked it.
When I bought a record by The Police, the same brother teased me, skk ok my mom told him to shut up, and leave the room so she could hear them sing. She said some of their tunes sounded reggae, but it was good.
When MTV actually played music videos, she would stay up late catching up on laundry, and watch tv . Mind you, at the time she was in her 70’s, and going strong. One night (in the wee hours), she woke me and said “they’re playing a video of a bunch of men wearing dresses in a boat in a pretend swamp. Come tell me who it is “
I got up, and it was The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
She loved her Tejano music, and classic Mexican songs. She had a beautiful voice.
When dementia took her, she could still remember all the words to all the songs she ever sang.
But she still didn’t know who I was.
Our last moment together was her laying in her hospital bed at home, us holding hands, and singing “Miss You” by The Rolling Stones. Her favourite song by them.

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Final score:

15points

Janina Prado

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On Saturday nights my father would go to the corner candy store around midnight to buy the Sunday paper. When he got it home, he would go to the kitchen to read the serious news sections and give the comics to my mother.

My brother and I had our Saturday night bath. Our hair was washed. We had on fresh pajamas. My mother put fresh sheets on the beds.

My brother sat on one side of my mother and I sat on the other while she read us the comics, doing all the sound effects. She explained what whoosh lines meant, what it meant when gnats flew out of wallets, what it meant when there were drops coming out of people's heads. It was heaven.

That's how I learned to love reading and why I still love reading.

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Final score:

15points

Rose Romano

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Having to study the Bible and other texts in Sunday School got me interested in thinking about the big questions of life: where did we come from and why, what's the purpose of human life, is there a natural, universal foundation of morals for humankind, is there a realization of reality that's greater and more true than what I've always considered to be real, what happens at death, etc. I eventually stopped going to Sunday School, but stayed interested in such questions, the study of which has been truly fascinating.

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Final score:

14points

Tami

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Being in the yard with the other kids from my apartment block

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Final score:

11points

Titas Burinskas

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Before moving: Playing on my grandparents' house's roof with both my cousins and other friends when I was 3/4 yo. After moving: Watching morning cartoons on Cartoon Network while mum fed me breakfast, and waiting additional 30 mins after school with her so that we could walk home together.

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Final score:

11points

DUN DUN

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Ok, so this probably isn't quite what is expected of this post, but here goes....

My mom died when I was 15. My dad and I were never very close. He spent most of his time shut in his bedroom. I ended up moving out to a friend's house when I was 17. It was at a party at that house where I met the girl that would eventually become my wife.
I think that if my mom hadn't died, I would have never met her. We've been together for over 30 years now.

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Final score:

11points

Rench

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honestly moving schools. I went to 8 schools in 8 years. At least now I like making new friends; for me, it is a challenge to be patient and keep loving the preexisting friends.

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Final score:

10points

Cowws

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Something from my childhood which influenced my adulthood. I was born in 1970 and was an avid fan of 40's cartoons (think bugs bunny). In a lot of those cartoons, you would often see just the calf, ankle and show of a lady. Well, shoes in the 40's were ankle strap platform heels and they were FABULOUS! Fast forward to adulthood and I'm heavily into 40's fashion. I also dabble in 30's and 50's (my car is a '55 Ford Fairlane), but 40's everything is my favorite.

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Final score:

10points

Bettie-Jean Neal

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I was 5 years old. My brother was 2 years old. He quickly learned that if he wanted anything all he had to do was cry and my parents would automatically assume that I had done something to make him cry and thus punish me - usually by hitting me.

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Final score:

9points

Jeremy Biggs

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My parents divorce. My bio mom basically handed us over to our dad and was fine not being a big part of our life. All in all, that by itself would not have been the biggest deal, because I was so young when they got divorced that I couldn't miss something I never had. But when I was around 10 or 12 I was sexually assaulted by my stepdad. Because I was so young I did not realize till I was around 11 that what he was doing was most likely grooming me. My mom ignored signs, and when she finally mentioned this to the cops, I wasn't allowed to visit for a month. My mom made no effort to have us come over and I have not seen her for 6 years. So, she chose the man who sexually assualted Me over her daughter, and then had and another daughter with him and posts pictures on Facebook of their "perfect family". So now I have abandonment issues. Yay.

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Final score:

9points

Vin_Detta

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Going to summer camp that my parents didn't know was run by religious extremists. When those wack jobs learned my parents were non-believers, they harassed me no end. They told me I would roast in Hell for eternity. They turned the other kids against me and tried to make me admit that my father molested me. This gave me a very bad impression of religion. I realize there are good believers out there, but those a-holes completely destroyed any and all chance that I would ever be religious.

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Final score:

9points

Freya the Wanderer

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Letting me pick out my own carpet and paint colors in our new house when I was in 1st grade. Pink walls with pink, 3-tone shag carpet. I lived in that room until I left for college. Never occurred to me to paint it or beg for new carpet when I got older LOL

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Final score:

8points

ThisIsMe

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In less than a year, I went from the giddiness surrounding the Century 21 Seattle World's Fair--that celebrated the new 'space age' and its associated wonders to come--to spending part of my 11th birthday crouched under my school desk in New Orleans for a Civil Defense drill during the Cuban missile crisis (which used new 'space age' technology that could have destroyed a large part of humanity).

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Final score:

8points

Deanne Charlton

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Pokèmon! Got made fun of for it a bit but I still love playing it.

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Final score:

8points

Spikey boi

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Spending every break from school at my grandparents farm. Woodstove for cooking and heat, feeding animals, learning how to hitch a team, sawing firewood, fishing, stepping in cowpies barefoot if you didn't look where you were running, stars (no city lights), chilblains in the winter from being outside all day with wet mitts.
Still can only handle cities for a few days at most. I am much happer out in the country or wilds.

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Final score:

8points

Chich

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My dad's Christmas tradition of putting an extra present under the tree while we were sleeping and saying it was from Santa. :)

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Final score:

8points

colorfultragedy

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Instability shaped my childhood. My dad left when I was 2, my mom was divorced three times by the time I was 11. Seven homes and five schools before 10, including three different schools in 1st grade. At 50 I still feel out of place in any new situation, and feel like the outsider even with people I know well. I don’t expect that will ever change.

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Final score:

8points

UpQuarkDownQuark (he/him)

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My whole life was changed when my father abandoned my family when I was just a kid. It was me, my brother and sister, and my mom who had a hearing impairment and hadn't worked for years. We went from comfortable to homeless in the space of couple months. It was a difficult time, but I wouldn't change anything. The experience taught me to be resilient; to know that life turns on a dime, and everything is only temporary. I became more compassionate, because I learned that things can move both ways, up and down, and just because someone is on the bottom at the moment doesn't mean they'll stay there. It also made me determined to make my own way in the world, and never rely on others for the basics... I worked very hard, saved very well, and struggled to create my own security.

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Final score:

8points

GoddessOdd

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The beach, i live in CA and live right by Venice so as a kid i would often run from Venice all he way to Santa Monica. By Grandma would be pushing an empty stroller as i ran in my four year old glory

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Final score:

7points

Has sold soul for corn chip

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My brothers death in car crash when I was six
Me and my sis Messing about on the roof of our aunts flat
Asking and asking for a Harry Potter book set, then finally getting one and rereading them three times in 2 weeks.
When I was 9, I had been begging and begging my mum and dad to get me a dog. They finally got me one when I was ten. My reaction: 🤔😱😶😐🤑🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

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Final score:

7points

RandomPanda

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The 11 and a half years or mental ,emotional, and physical abuse by my father while.my mother hid from him and I got bullied in school, had no friends and oh did I mention harassed by my sister. OH and don't forget the rape and sexual harassment.

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Final score:

6points

Jude Fire

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It was 7 in the evening. My younger bother and I were in bed. I was 6, he was 3.
My parents had guests for dinner and my brother and I were playing in bed.
My father stormed up the stairs, shouting that we were being too noisy. He grabbed me, threw me against the wall and went back downstairs.

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Final score:

5points

Jeremy Biggs

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Homelessness.

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Final score:

5points

Mr.Knaps (He/Him)

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- Siblings (I have 5)
- Imagination
- Art
- Food
- Grandma
- Scaring the crap out of my parent by accidentally sleeping in very hard places to find

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Final score:

5points

ShotoTodoroki33

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Growing up within 300 feet of older cousins who taught me how to dance to Chubby Checker, The Drifters, Martha and The Vandellas, Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs, and Wilson Picket.

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Final score:

5points

Robin Roper

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In the late 1950s, I was the first child, grandchild, niece, etc. The world revolved around me and life was grand! Then, two months before I turned 2yo, I was given a baby sister. No one had asked if I wanted one. She was just suddenly there. My replacement. Obviously. • ● • Everyone I loved constantly told me that, as The Big Sister, I "knew better." They all believed that I had this weird power. • ● • But I didn't, and I was terrified they'd discover that, in reality, I DIDN'T know better! I didn't have a freakin' clue! It only got worse as three more siblings appeared over the years. • ● • With each milestone, if I made any kind of mistake, I was reminded that I knew better.
You're a big kindergartener now, you know better than that! You're 13yo now, You Know Better! • ● • Since I'd always known better, I didn't dare ask for instructions or guidance. For anything. Not even as the new mom of a newborn that cried continuously. If I did, they'd realize that I was a fake all along! (This was way before post-partum depression was recognized as a reality. The internet and its wealth of information did not exist.) • ● • While it's getting easier, it's still hard to ask for any kind of input from someone. The fear of being found out and ridiculed still rears its ugly head, even tho I long ago accepted that, unfortunately, I am NOT magic. • ● •

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Final score:

5points

Rose

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I don't really remember anything, but something that changed it was when I cam home from my cousin's wedding late at night (12 ish) I was either tired af or there was ice, but either way, I fell on my face and cut my cheek.

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Final score:

4points

Andrei Marentette

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my parents divorce, transformers animated, beyblade metal fusion, also the war with the junkyard kid clan

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Final score:

4points

best turtle

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I was 6 years old. Robin Hood was the rage on children’s TV. My father bought me and my younger brother a plastic Robin Hood bow and arrows. If I pulled the bow as far as I could, the arrow would fly about 5 feet. It had a red rubber sticker in the front.
My father saw me and my brother pointing our arrows at each other and confiscated our toys. An hour later he called us to come and get our toys. He he handed them back to us. He had broken the bows and arrows into tiny pieces - about 3 inches long.

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Final score:

4points

Jeremy Biggs

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I was 6 years old. Our family went on holiday to Wales, in the car. My younger brother and I were in the back seat and after 3 hours started fighting. My father stopped the car, opened the back door, pulled me out and drove off. I WAS 6 YEARS OLD!!!!

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Final score:

4points

Jeremy Biggs

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Okay, so here's something that really messed me up mentally, hopefully y'all can relate. But when I was little, I used to be bullied for being ugly and bad at school, to top that, my parents worked at lot and came home late and tired. One day, I got in a head injury, had to go to the hospital, almost got in a coma. Idk why, but that really made me paranoid. What if I got into another head injury? When I moved towns andoved schools (4 years later) I was so nervous that I would get bullied just like I did years ago. When my mom got a new job (4 years later) I was so scared she would have to work and work and work all over again. And Jesus, I can't live a single day without worrying I'm gonna get in another big head injury, I'm so paranoid still and it's been 4 years.

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Final score:

4points

Slambamblam

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Toxic family, being bullied in middle school, coming out as agender, and just absolutely music altogether. Music is the one thing I can lose myself in. It’s like therapy for me, which I desperately need. I was also diagnosed with ADHD and generalized anxiety disorder in elementary school. They tried to put me on medication for it, but nothing helped. Plus my parents told the doctor to take the dosage down to half because of some drug problems that run in the family, so that was probably an issue as well.

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Final score:

4points

BORKADYMUSIC

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Listening to Taylor Swift and Eminem in the car.

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Final score:

4points

theoneandonlynoira

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My dad was serious history fan.We had some "archeological journeys": my grandparents house is located in a village which used to be quite a big merchant point in 8-12 centuries. There are so many artifacts that you even don't need to dig to find!Anyway.He had never read any fairytales for me - too boring. Instead it was history facts. Intrigues,wars,murders,injustice,battle strategy,love and anything else you could imagine.It captured me so strongly that,when it came to getting to university,I refused to choose between 2 most favorite subjects. The thing is, the speciality that connects both is taught only in the best Uni of the country. My actions? I got in. Nobody believed in me (except for parents), I've never been very good at school: it always seemed too boring (all 100 for class work, all 0 for homework😅). All my teachers and relatives said that I need to choose smth not so pretentious. F them. I got my bachelor degree and then got 2 Masters. Win.

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Final score:

4points

Мария Литвак

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Michael Joseph Jackson. Always playing his music. Always. I am a hardcore fan now.
Nintendo.
Xbox
That Sonic The Hedgehog tv show with Jaleel White
Books. Instead of being glued to electronics everywhere, it was books. Big, Heavy, long books.
Dole fruit cups
Full House
Harry Potter
Rainbow loom bracelets. You know, those rubber band bracelets? I was really hardcore about that.
Crazy loud music, and dancing, and pastelitos at family parties (My Mom is
Cuban)
There's so much more family memories, just to much to write

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Final score:

4points

Sofie Carmine

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My uncle blowing out the candles on my Elmo birthday cake…. Jk

It would probably be loosing my best friend. She did some bad things and eventually took me down with her. I had known her for 14 or 15 years and it was really hard to say goodbye. Just some wisdom for all you that are having a friend problems, if you think it is toxic then it probably is. Even if you love that person do you really want to go the rest of your days with them? You have to ask those hard questions. I would also strongly suggest that you talk to a stable adult about it or someone that won’t ridicule you. There are always other people out there for you.

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Final score:

4points

Archer Harris

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Okay so, when i was younger, my dad would yell at my brothers a lot, and sometimes my mom too. And I guess that just made me not to get yelled at and made me scared whenever someone would yell.

For example: one time I was in school (7th grade) a teacher asked me where I was going in a really loud and mad voice. I thought it was my dad for a second and I started crying and panicking.

I’ve started recovering since then, and I’m slowly starting to stand up for myself more, but yelling definitely shaped me as a child… I had lots of panic attacks when people yelled too… I’m having less of them, fortunately.

Anyways, thats my story I guess.

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Final score:

3points

Amelia Joy

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My very first memory was going downstairs and seeing Dad standing in the hall in his skivvies.
Where's Mommy?
She's in the hospital.
Why is she in the hospital??
Because you kids drove her crazy.

She was in the hospital because she was having kid #5, or 6, I can't remember. I was 4 or 5. But it's shaped my life. Feeling un needed and un wanted. I'm almost 65. Dad is going to be 94 this summer. Mom is gone 21 years now. And it is one of my most vivid memories.

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Final score:

3points

Otto Katz

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Phineas and Ferb. Need I say more?

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Final score:

3points

Sylvie

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Marvel, having half christian parents(made me not christian, NO i dont hate christians), and books

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Final score:

2points

Ironass

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The Far Side and Calvin and Hobbes. I learned to think deeply and laugh at the macabre.

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Final score:

2points

Rydaddio

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Books (and movies). They were, and still are, my escape from reality. My family often makes fun of how attached I am to fictional characters, but they help me cope and have always been there for me.

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Final score:

2points

Sylvie

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As the oldest daughter (2nd child) I learned compassion & empathy early. I was about 9 or 10 when I asked dad if I could put out the cookies & milk for Santa. He was (unknown to me) putting together a ton of toys for 5 kids. He looked at me and replied "I think Santa's going to want a glass of Scotch & a pack of Winstons this year." Looking back, it makes me appreciate his humor more. Thanks dad.

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Final score:

2points

Sharon Morris

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Food.
I know family recipes by heart. I love going through my Nonnie's old cookbooks. I would ask for specific dishes that date back to before my dad was born!

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Final score:

2points

Nicole Marie

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Physically and mentally abused. Suddenly being uprooted from one country to an entirely different continent when i was 10. Books. Fighting. Friends. Stress. Grades.

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Final score:

1point

Correy

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CG5 and JTmusic. My world would be a lot sadder without them. Also dnf. It makes me happy.

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Final score:

1point

Ravenkingofaplanet

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Music from 1900-1980, my g’ma on moms side loved Elvis and g’ma on dads side loved the Beatles. To this day I’ll either recognize or know all the words to almost any song from then to.

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Final score:

1point

Coding_Bean

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Getting mobbed through the entire eleven years of school and being considered responsible for that by the teachers (no matter if I fought back or not).
Being hated by my father who only was home on weekends due to work and left my mother when I was 8. That my big sister used me as valve to vent her anger didn't help either nor that my entire familiy thinks I'm a stupid loser (compared to my cousins). My mother suffers from the aftermaths of a meningitis and we never really had much money. Was the only person to teach me actual values like kindness and politeness.

May sounds bad, but overall made me quite strong - lacking social skills is quite a problem though as being shy and quiet is seen as equal as being an idiot it seems

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Final score:

1point

J. F.

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Beginning ballet. It was the most exhilarating experience of my life. It still is. Even though being a ballet dancer is some of the most horrifying pain you'll ever experience--worse than child labour--it's incredible.

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Final score:

1point

Legolas Greenleaf

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My parents didn’t ever show affection to each other, or me and my brother. That probably affected my early life. Plus the toxic best friend that I’d had for 9 years. And the fact that my parents pushed for perfection, and if we didn’t have that, we “weren’t trying”. So yeah, that probably shaped my life today.

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Final score:

0points

ⒾⓈⒶⒷⒺⓁⓁⒶ

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The Far Side and Calvin and Hobbes. I learned to think deeply and laugh at the macabre.

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Final score:

0points

Rydaddio

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