You mean was my mother killed in a terrible car crash when I was just 6 so I don't really remember her?
...No.
You mean did my father abuse me?
...No.
You mean did I grow up in a country ravaged by war?
...No.
You mean did we have to scrabble around for our food and water?
...No.
You mean did a pseudo religious sect take over our village, kill all the men and rape all the women?
...No.
You mean did I spend most of my childhood dressed in rags, bitterly cold, hungry and alone?
...No.
You mean did I see my father be shot in the head by a representative of some 'tin-pot' regime?
...No.
You mean did I grow up not having a family,
in an institution or on the streets?
...No.
You mean,
was I loved?
...Yes.
Was I warm; fed and happy? ...Yes.
Did I know my place in the world,
my place in the structure of a loving family,
did I have relatives to visit,
wonderful trips away,
holidays?
...Yes I did.
Did I have a normal childhood?
...who knows what normal is?
