Randomness from the top:
When I was a young man, my uncles on both sides of my family used to abuse us. I don't mean literal abuse. I just mean that 'making a little boy tough' abuse that only an uncle can provide. Those of us that were timid used to take it personally--like they hated us. That's not the case at all. When they were little boys, they got NOTHING from their dads so I guess that we could be grateful for the abuse. Yeah, their fathers were great providers but as far as someone that they could TALK to...it wasn't going down. Which brings me to the comment that one of my favorite uncles made earlier this evening.
We were talking about the distance that had been created within our family over the years for whatever reasons. He had mentioned something, hurtful in my opinion, that his oldest son said to him some years ago. My eye brows clenched closer together and I said to my favorite uncle, "That must've hurt your feelings." He replied, "I don't have feelings." He was serious too. So, I listened to him talk about why he didn't have any feelings and was empathetic with him. See, when the men in my life made sacrifices or did things, they always had a reason for it. At the time, my uncles behavior wasn't any of my cousin's business and he wasn't trusting enough to give my uncle his way. My cousin just figured that his dad was fucked up because he was totally thinking about himself instead of what his dad was going through--having to love a wife, provide for his children, take care of his extended family, which they all do time and time again to the best of their ability.
Unc--not having feelings has cost him most of THEM, but I'm still around for sure because I know better. See, them saying that they don't have feelings is just like a defense mechanism. With them, it's a man thing. Per Mo' Better Blues: A D-I-C-K thang. Those fuckers have feelings. If he didn't, he wouldn't have damn near cried when he saw me walk through the door of his kitchen after nearly 3 years (out of town and such; I'm a mover). So, when they say that they don't have feelings, I believe them because they need me to. It's just like me saying "I don't care". It's just a bold-faced lie. Because we all know that they'll rip the skin off of their bodies for us if need be. That's a bomb ass uncle if you ask me

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