“My brother died a user. He’s under a stone in the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, in a pauper’s grave. All out of empathy.”
My family is similarly situated..
Why do you think your brother became a user/abuser and you did not?
Different circles of friends. None of mine used, all of his did. They would ditch school, and sit in a Denny's booth and chant "I can do anything I want..." and laugh.
The Old Man had his own life, and his own hobbies, and was content to make sure the two kids were housed and fed, and decently clothed. He figured his responsibility stopped there. Besides, he had two ex wives to support...
I learned, early on, that I was pretty much on my own. I was too much of a coward to try jail, so...