The Perfect Family

I was raised to believe we had The Perfect Family. My parents were proud to think of themselves as ahead of their time. Smaller foreign car, only one child, both parents employed full-time, latch-key kid -- all these were unusual things in the 1970's. Oh, and the parents didn't let the needs of their child get in the way of what they wanted. I was quite adept at spending hours sitting in a pub/bar or a fine restaurant, reading, whilst my parents enjoyed their grown-up pleasures.

From the outside, We Looked Great. Whether people saw us only occasionally or all the time, the image we portrayed was that of an ideal family. All the world's a stage, eh? It was for us. It's a common thing in families with n parents, but I'm still amazed just how our phony façade fooled so many people. We deserve Lifetime Achievement Oscars!

Sometimes I wonder, though. A few people dared to fly under the radar after getting a glimpse at reality. I can't help but be thankful to the school teacher neighbor who learned that I hadn't been scheduled in AP classes and took it upon himself to get my class schedule changed. It was wonderful to be reminded that someone did see me. What was it that allowed some people to see beyond the façade?

Yet even today, nearly six years after my father died, I hear stories of our Perfect Family. Some legends just never die.