Sometimes my hair raises on end

When my hair wasn't already white, it would turn that color when I read certain things. Like this: nowadays it seems that all crooks have had a bad childhood, and that's why they became what they are.

Wrong! In my opinion is is not so much the environment that determines who'd you become, but your character. People with a strong character can overcome each condition they face.

Take my own family. On mother's side, no problems. They were a well-to-do middle class family who also had a warm family life. But my father was born in quite a different place. Both his parents were alcoholics, who spent every penny they had to booze. They also had seven kids and a dog... From those seven, only my father and the sister who came after him escaped this hell. They were determined to make a better life for themselves. When dad was not even 14, he went out working as an errand boy for the railway services. With the money earned he could at least fed his brothers and sisters.  His sister Lucy managed to finish her school and then met a young fella who worked for a painter. They married and soon afterwards Andre had his own company. They moved to West Flanders and started a family. They did well; their three kids all have a good job (the second eldest overtook the  company, another is a ITT specialist and the girl has a travel agency).

Gradually, my father worked up his way by taking exams and doing various courses. He then met my mother and he got very well along with her parents. They did not have any objection to their marriage. Dad ended up his career as station manager. Unfortunately, he did not become very old. He died aged 64 from a heart attack.

But you see, character means a lot. When we were kids, we were trained in this. We were taught about the world, about good and bad, and having a mind of our own. We still have. If I'd had kids of my own, I would have raised them in the same spirit.