I don't know my birth father. Thus, my grandfather was my main father figure when I was growing up. He died from myeloma in 2000 and I can't bring myself to lie: had he not passed away, I would have most likely turned out a lot differently. I don't know how to word that in a way that doesn't sound disrespectful or horrible, but I'm not blaming anyone. He is probably the person I most want to be like in the world. I have my fair share of psychological issues; my lack of a father figure for the past ten years is just part of why I have them. My mother has cycled through various boyfriends since I was born and I've never connected with any of them on the same level that I did with my grandfather. My family is kind of, well, I don't know. There are far too many petty arguments. It's nothing compared to a lot of people I'm acquainted with, but it grates after a few days of screaming every morning. I can't really speak badly of my mother, either. She has done a good job, but she's now over 50 and trying to raise my half-brother and half-sister, whom are 13 and 11 respectively. It takes a lot out of her and they're kind of bratty and nasty when they want to be. I'm going to say it's fairly stable for a family nowadays. I'm rambling, but yes. I might not have become such a shut-in but other factors did contribute to it.