My father was a socialapath. Loved people around, the life of the party. He treated his family completly different when there was no one to impress around....Plus we knew the real him. Thats why we always wanted to have company over....It was the only time Dad was cool....
He was a world class liar. He loved to impress his friends with stories that were at best maybe 50% true. I remember one time, I corrected him in front of his friends....he slapped the shit out of me....It was one of the few times he ever hit me.
Everytime I see him now (he is 85 years old)....He tells me the same stories he has for years as if I have never heard them before....Now I just smile and don't say a word.
He was a hard worker and I never saw him drunk, ever. He stayed with my mother even though she was one of the worst JW nut jobs on the planet. He was and is "Tony Soprino" He do anything for his friends....his enemys...different story.
He would and has given me the shirt off his back.
The most touching thing he ever said to me was "I know...I wasn't a very Good father...It's not because I didn't want to me...I didn't know HOW to be one"......Truth or lie...who knows.
I thought great, now things will change....that was 25 years ago.....same dad.
What is interesting after reading all the post here...That for most of us that even after all the shit our fathers have done to us...most of us still love them...and want to have that father son connection.
I know one thing, I love my father...I will never judge him...and who knows maybe he just like all the rest of the people on the planet....people who are doing the best they can with the "cards that were deal them."......people with the best intentions.