13. Greetings from Delaware: Delaware, the First State

Date: June 7, 1983

Age: 6

We have been in Delaware visiting for a few days. We took B to school. Back to Florida tonight.
Love, Daddy

My father went on sabbatical for a year, and we moved to Miami. During the time, my brother started college at the U of D (at least Dad didn't have to pay for one of us to go to school), so we made a trip home for the occasion. I think this postcard concludes the ones representing Delaware. After all, there really isn't much about Delaware to represent on a postcard; remember Wayne's World?

Mine was not the first parent-child relationship that my dad struggled with; once B moved to Delaware (and for a time, lived in our basement when we returned from Miami), he and our dad butted heads to cruel extremes. We have different mothers, and B witnessed the breakup of his mom and our dad at an early age. He didn't have to live with our dad after he was maybe 11 years old, but those family issues still fucked with him. To some degree, he and my dad were strangers once B moved to Delaware, and B was not the kind of person my dad would typically like, or even be around--B was carefree, not really serious about life or school, mischevious. Always a good guy, he just needed to do a little growing up. I don't think Dad was able to see the good in B, and made it no secret how disappointed he was in him, how much disdain he held for him. Even with all the crap I put up with from my dad, I don't think he ever reflected these kinds of feelings upon me.

B eventually dropped out of the U of D, but later returned to college and finished his degree at Temple. He works in sales and is very successful at it. He also has a great wife and kids. His marriage is a true, loving partnership, and his family is a great example of a healthy, loving relationship where everyone is dedicated to maintaining that happiness. I'm glad one of us did not suffer disastrous consequences and was able to feel loved and be loved.