What Bad Childhood Experience's, Still Trouble you Today!!!!

"Gregg there is no such thing as Santa, and yes there are monsters...but I'll take care of them."

or the 80's thing, it was a fairly traumatic decade on sooooooo many levels.

I'm not necessarily troubled by any memories but one in particular stands out and always will. 

When I was about 5 years old I would go into the living room in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep and watch TV.  Well one night I was on the couch in the den which is on the other side of the house from the bedrooms.  I hear a noise in the kitchen and look up and see a man dressed in black looking around the corner.  I scream bloody murder and he turns and runs back into the kitchen, through the laundry room and out the garage.  My Dad came a few moments later with a loaded shotgun but the guy was long gone. 

Apparently, he had only taken some money from my parent's wallets in the kitchen.  The police came and I had to tell them what happened.  I will certainly never forget it.

UB, how on earth do you go from Irish Catholic to Mormon!!!!! (no drinking or gambling!!! )
Please you must tell us that story!

Born papist.  Soon that environment of guilt proved insufficient.  I wanted more.  Decided to get myself a Mormon hair shirt.  Plus those missionaries knew how to score popcorn and peanut butter - manna from heaven to a young lad raised on Marmite.  Then I reached that age when a good Irish boy gets hair on his goolies and begins to crave fornication and that beautiful Black Magic produced by Arthur & Sons (in no particular order).  Obviously the promise of your own planet in the afterlife can't compare to those two delights. 

So here I am.  Struggling along without religion but getting laid and drunk at a respectable clip.