Experiences, Hopes, Views on Drugs, and Future Plans and Relationship

Essay
Name
Institution
Essay
Children are often excited when asked what they would like to be when they grow up. This question is typically filled with hope and hides a lot from the children especially the struggles in life which they later come to experience. However, in spite of this fact, children smile and provide answers to the question while exuding confidence. For some the names, they provide end up being their chosen career paths because they say it many times until they believe it. For others, change becomes imminent as one grows to discover a different person to who they were as children. These aspirations are hopeful, and every parent loves to hear their child say they would like to be a doctor, a programmer, a CEO of a big company like their dad or mom, or a teacher. However, I was different, and it is fair to say that I was never given a chance to think of who I would like to be when I grow up.
As a child, I only had one wish, and this was that my parents would stop fighting. Conflict in households is considered normal, and people are always expected to disagree on some things. However, my parents would disagree on almost everything, and I have no recollection of a time when they agreed on anything. To add salt to the injury, my father was an alcoholic and most of the time, the disagreements would get physical, and while still learning to understand the world and what it has to offer, I saw my dad hit my mum.
I associate alcohol with a lot of bad things, and this stems from what I saw as a child. I knew conflicts were normal because I disagreed with my mum on many occasions especially when I was asked to do something and I threw a tantrum. However, I never knew they should or could get to the point of physical harm. Millions of thoughts flood my mind every time I saw my dad hit my mum.
The scene was always was painful and confusing, and therefore, instead of wishing to be a doctor or a pilot as any normal child, I had one simple wish: that my parents would stop fighting and that dad would stop taking alcohol. I was a confused child who had an obvious SOS written on his cute young face, but no one and especially my parents seemed to notice how badly I needed normalcy but for a minute. Families would go out on picnics, and all I got were aftermath stories. Most of the time if not all the time, I used to cover my shame and therefore, lie about the many vacations we had as a family. I needed a world where alcohol and a dysfunctional family were unwelcomed factors, and my brain seemed like the perfect place to live in.
My parents thought I had everything I needed because money was not a problem but the truth was I did not. In my mind, alcohol had everything it needed because it always had its way whenever my parents disagreed. Dad was always disorderly during his free times and his off days and mum was always in tears and these I associated with alcohol. Once in a while, the sober and reasonable dad would surface, but this never lasted because we had an alcohol reserve in the house.
Alcohol robbed me off the peace and normal childhood life I could have. I blame alcohol for a lot of things, and I grew angrier by the day. I could not think as a child or even get to enjoy the fact that I am one. I was for...