I was born in the culturally ischemic coal slums of West Virginia, brought up by a teacher (musical, well-read, and dazzled by high society) and machinist (startlingly intelligent and happily blue collar). Also, Missionary Baptist.
Fellow elementary students fucked with me a lot. I'd like to think that this helped me develop character, but more likely it just caused me to have low self-esteem. Whoops.
In junior high, I became one of those vague teens with angst and some defining property. I made good friends with some big-ass role-players -- one actually endured as a friend over the long term. He lost weight.
High school cheered me up.
Two years of community college depressed me again.
California cheered me up!
California depressed me again.