Boro Nut

Two of my sons have handicaps, one twelve and the other eight. I am ashamed to say I am becoming tired of the havoc they have wreaked on my family life. When they were very young we obviously made a fuss of them to encourage them in the hope that they would improve, but after years of trying I have to be honest and say I can�t see any evidence of it. We did without holidays so they could have professional assistance, and spent thousands on equipment. The house seems to be full of it, and there�s hardly room for anybody else�s stuff - not to mention the hundreds of quack videos promising 5 minute cures for each little ailment � none of which work. I feel it�s all been wasted effort.

I feel I�ve just been ground down by years of frustration and setbacks, and in that time it�s been one endless round of them-them-them to the exclusion of everyone else. They still expect me to drop everything whenever they have learned something new and want to show me, but I can hardly bring myself to watch them anymore. I would rather go to the pub and watch football with my other son. He is working now and contributing to the housekeeping. He has never been any bother in his life. They are convinced they are going to get better, but everyone knows they wont. We just never tell them to their faces what we really think. They bore me quite frankly, but I am expected to feign enthusiasm. I�m sick of it. I know in my heart that I should be brutally honest with them. Perhaps if someone made them realise they were useless and always would be we could all get on with our lives.

Sometimes I think that these two will be a millstone around my neck forever. I resent that they will never be able to pull their weight financially or repay the investment we have made in them, and I feel guilty that my other kids have had to do without all this time just because to these two, although they have never complained.

Sometimes I lay awake at night imagining myself beating them. I�m not sure I could ever really do it, but it does make me feel good to imagine it. Am I worng to dream? It shouldn�t be too difficult for me if I put my mind to it. They�re still only children after all and I�m a fully grown man and I was quite handy with a bat at on time. What should I do?

A few words of sympathy from anyone in a similar situation wouldn�t go amiss � but no religious types please. I couldn�t bear anyone else telling me they are somehow special or have a gift from god. It certainly doesn�t seem like that from my perspective. If I ever met the priest who once said that to me again I would quite happily wrap every bloody golf club round his neck.

Boro Nut

NialScorva

:notworthy

Masterfully subtle. Took me 2 readings to figure it out.

frostymama

I've read it 3 times and I still haven't figured this one out. I must be a bit slow today.

seanie

:notworthy

Bialar Crais

Ain't sure, 'cause I'm too tired to read more than once, but the starting sentence: "Two of my sons have handicaps, one twelve and the other eight."

And the finale: " It certainly doesn�t seem like that from my perspective. If I ever met the priest who once said that to me again I would quite happily wrap every bloody golf club round his neck"

So if my somewhat sluggish brain is functioning fully, it's simply: two of his son are lousy golfers. That's it. I think.

Amen-Moses

Golf.

Amen-Moses

lunachick

Well, I guess not everyone can raise a Tiger Woods. Just par for the course, I suppose.

frostymama

I really should have caught that one Now I feel pretty stupid.

Boro Nut

I wish you lot wouldn't blow it for me so early. I'm relying on some passing novice getting inflamed by the third paragraph and firing off a Mr Angry response without actually reading it properly. Only then can I play nice and my sad little life will have some meaning at last.

braces_for_impact

Yeah really that would have been sweet to watch...

Boro Nut says " Um...I was talking about golf."

<Fundy runs crying in shame> "Don't look at me!"