December 25, 2005, 4:25pm

Reading a book about resilient adults. That is, people who have endured a terrible childhood and grow up more or less a functional adult.

Well, I'm pretty sure I have a bad childhood in today's standard. As one of the interviewees said, she didn't think she had a childhood. Yet, this idea of a carefree and inocent childhood is a rather recent concept, I think.

Children worked as coal miners, factory workers etc in the 18th Century. I think I saw a document hanging on the wall somewhere, probably a whisky factory museum in Ireland or Scotland. Children aged 7 could not work longer than 15 hours a day. What a mercy.

I want to learn from the interviewees and see what they have done to resolve their hatre and anger. I don't want to live forever having nightmares on a weekly basis to survive my mother's attempted murder. And so many of the interviewees had even more terrible times than me.

Went to Shirley's mother's place just now. They have five generations of the family gathering there. For what I know I don't have, I will find the way to create mine. This is on the top of my Christmas wishes.

Merry Christmas, everyone. I wish you have joy in your life.