Significant milestone to life

 

I didn’t realise until talking to mum just after midnight that there were some significant milestones that had happened on the 13th of September.

The first happened in 2002, when we moved into the duplex from living in the caravan park in Hastings Point. That story however should be left for another blog as it is just as interesting on its own. Also 2002 was when I made my trip to Hamilton Island to work over Christmas and there were issues there too, which included a major eye operation in 2003.

 

The other significant Friday the 13th of 2013 is when my step father, Bruce left to be sent into the wide world and my parents divorce. He loaded up hit tinny, a boat with things he though to be of equal value to the house. He wanted the dog as well, but she had been taken elsewhere. He had said mum can keep her, but he would go back on his word and would have likely taken her with him. At the time Jez was mum’s rock during the turbulent time.

 

There had been other issues around the same time apart from Bruce who had around this time start reading the bible to become a born again ‘christian’, and possible issues because he had been adopted as a kid and had with mum’s help found his natural family. That started the ball rolling with him focusing everything on his found family, and ignoring his family to the point it was pissing off his actual kids as I was a step kid. He was also gaslighting mum when he came back from visiting them and became really toxic. I was there for a lot of what was going on. Around the same time we ended up with a step brother who was having major life issues revolving around alcohol and possible drug use.

 

There was another significant life altering issue that had happened, which had also caused some of the rift between mum and Bruce. No fault of their own, but opened up a can of worms that had already became fractured along the edges.  Mum had an accident, where she nearly lost her leg after crashing her bike when a dog ran at her hitting the motorbike. She was off work for a while and would eventually have an operation to put in pins and all that. Because she was limited in movement and could no longer get into the rooftop tent on the four wheel drive that created tension as Bruce wanted to travel and couldn’t. There were other issues relating to the accident as well that caused further tension.

 

The step brother stayed with us for a period of time and while he was in Tweed, he had an interlock on his car to make sure he wasn’t drink driving. He had several stints with rehab while with us, but that didn’t seem to help him at all. There was one night where he wanted dad to come down to the local pub to have a drink with him, and Bruce had refused. Mum and I ended up walking down there as it was within walking distance and having a drink and making sure he got home with us as he had a little too much. Another night he had been drinking and was trying to steal mum’s car so he would go for a final drive. He got spooked when Bruce and I came home as I had bike issues. We only knew as the keys were in the door to the car.

 

No one confronted my step brother over this, but me being me, I did. I baled him up the next day and roasted him for what he had done or tried to do. I had him in the kitchen where he couldn’t escape. I didn’t touch him physically. Though Bruce had issues with what I had said and blamed mum thinking she had put me up to doing that. He never thought much of me, nor thought I had a mind of my own. All he seen was someone on the autism spectrum or Aspergers as it was called back then, all he seen was someone who couldn’t help themselves and was easily manipulated. Sure there were certain family who had done that or tried to. That fired off a huge spark. He literally treated me like an idiot child and I would brush that off by making smart alec comments. His response would be ‘Oh he doesn’t understand’. Actually I do and using a sense of humour as an answer.

 

Towards the end of 2013 it had been suggested that I seek some help for my mental health as things were swirling around my brain with what ifs as things were getting messy, and I was getting angry as well. I went to see the GP and got the 10 sessions I think it was to see a mental health person within the same facility to chat and learn some techniques to cope with everything. It was helpful and to get another perspective of everything, especially when it didn’t involve medication, which is something I like.

 

The year 2026 has been slightly turbulent with the passing of Jez, but that is another blog and we have had her for some good years, where she led a long happy life. She was 18, but we had her for 14 of those years.

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