I don't like confrontation, and I especially can't stand up to my father.

I didn't want to go to the prom, high school graduation, or college graduation. Everyone said I would regret it, but no one was forcing me to go, so I didn't. I'm 35 now, and I don't even remotely regret not going to any of those things. Even after all this time, I still think they sound like absolutely horrible events to sit through (for me personally, I have absolutely nothing against the events in general or other people going to them).

We went on one of those short scenic railroad trips. Everyone was kind of bored by it. But then there was a ski lift over the woods and near the lake. I don't like heights, and the one ski lift that I did before was awful, so I didn't want to go, but my father made me, and it was actually good, and everyone was talking about how it was the best part of the trip.

I am really surprised that my father never made me get braces. I was covered under his insurance, and my teeth are very crooked, and he wanted me to get them when I was younger. And usually when he wants you to do something, he makes you do it. But he didn't make me, and I thought braces were just for vain people, so I never wanted them. Well, now my jaw isn't aligned right, and it takes me forever to chew anything, so now I realize it's not just vanity, and I wish he made me get them!

Eh, don't wish too hard on the braces thing. I was forced to get them but the orthodontist was really incompetent, and my bite is entirely screwed up, and the teeth are misaligned in a whole new way, but the guy didn't care because "look how pretty your smile is now!" Ugh. Did I say ANYTHING to make you think I cared about that? Hello? I only ever "smiled" at you under duress anyhow, and it was much more a "bare my teeth at you and keep them tight closed on the awful things I want to scream at you" than an actual smile, you patronizing incompetent ass.
I've known for years that I should probably go see someone better and get it really fixed, but after years of time, deep depression, and expense the first time for nothing? Nope.

Thing is, that was the only place that my father's insurance covered, within a three hour drive.
So it was that or nothing.
I should have chosen nothing, so that I wouldn't be afraid to do something about it now. I should have chosen nothing and stuck by it.

Seriously, for years, I just pretended it wasn't my mouth, wasn't my body, had nothing to do with me, because I hated so much being at the mercy of this awful man who wouldn't listen and wouldn't treat people like actual people, and I'd just pretend I wasn't even there in the chair at all with his hands in 'my' mouth (I actually wrote "his mouth" first and had to change it, because that's what it felt like. It felt like it was "his", not mine) and his horrible fake patronizing talk. Made it hard to be invested in good oral hygiene, among other things. And dating was difficult because I wanted nothing to do with kissing.

Point is. A bad experience is worse than nothing. So don't regret too hard.

I hate being told what to do. Well, unless I ask for someone to tell me what to do.

I'm pretty good at standing up for myself. Sometimes there are times that I do get cowed over. But over all I'm not much of a push over.