Yep, that is my Dad. After looking at it for a minute he said “Oh, thats group theory” and proceeded to solve it. My Dad is a smart, sweet and good hearted man. He has slowed down a bit, he is in his 70s now, but he is still sharp. When he was younger he was amazingly quick. If a math problem came up he’d get this pissed off look on his face, his “Crunching numbers” face, and a minute or two later an aswwer would pop out. Once on a flight to Hawaii the stewardess came out with a big jug filled with M&Ms. The person on the flight who could guess the number of M&Ms in the jug would win a prize. Everyone just threw out numbers. Dad got the look for a minute and then jotted down a number. He won, of course, and was extremely close. Within 2% IIRC. When I asked about it he said he calculated the volume of the jug, the size of the M&Ms, the most efficent stacking of the M&Ms and then took a bit off. He would do that kind of stuff all the time.
What is kind of funny is that my drinking threw him for a loop. He just could not understand it. He did everything he could to help but it really baffled him. That is one of the horrors of addiction. I became, to my Mom, Dad, family and friends, an alien. I looked like the normal, birght guy they raised and loved but I turned into a person that they could not understand. I did shit that made absolutely no sense to them. My thinking and behavior baffled them.
Thankfully, these days all that is done. My family and I can connect like normal folks. Such a simple thing but it means so much.
Congrats on 8 years. Didn’t know that story about your dad - fascinating. Glad to hear that you can connect much better - but I gotta ask: since you have shared that you and your gal (congrats on the relationship by the way!) have a strongly D/s relationship - does that spill over into your external life?
As for your relationship with the 'Dope - I hear ya; it comes and goes. Hopefully you will check in regularly and hang out when it feels right…
Many congrats on eight years and a healthy life. I’m at about… holy cow, six and a half years post-self-harm, and life has never been better. I finally stopped thinking about it daily a couple of years ago, that’s been a relief.
Anyone who’s still struggling: Life really can be good. I know it doesn’t feel like it, but it’s out there. Keep going.
kopek, it is fairly easy these days. If I do have any issues I have the tools to work them out. I have all the same kinds of problems that normal folks do, and now I have a way to deal with them.
WordMan, our relationship is complex. Good but complex. The roles are every changing, just like any other relationship.
Tonight I think we are headed out to dinner to celebrate.