Meet Spike and His Family: A portrait of a dysfunctional family

Spike is angry, surly, and mean.

His behavior tells us that he feels someone has driven over him with a tank. He feels confused, scared, alone and stupid. He doesn’t often use those terms, at least not directly. He acts them out. He fights without a moment’s notice. Everything becomes a target. Parents are the handiest. Fighting is easier than thinking. Thinking feels bad. Thinking makes him depressed.

Spike lives with his parents and an idiot sister. His Mom is always saying, “Spike, honey, you shouldn’t talk to your mother that way.”

Sometimes his Mom cries when he talks bad to her. Sometimes she screams at him.

“For what, ’cause I call her a bitch? Big deal.” Spike snips.

And his Dad? “That loser?” Spike snorts, “He gets all puffed up and says, “Spike, I’m warning you…!”

“You should see it. Dad looks ridiculous, all serious and worked up. I laugh myself sick sometimes. His warnings are nothing. I suppose he thinks he can make me sit in a corner. Forget it! I’m not sitting in any fucking corner for him or anyone else. He can kiss my ass.”

Spike’s disrespect is a clue that his future is in doubt. He will look for rebellion. He may cover his body in tattoos and shout how unique he is. He will insist he needs no one as no one measures up to his uniqueness. He will edge away from the mainstream. He will push away those who might like to know him. He will protest his uniqueness too loudly. Actually, he will fear the rejection he is likely to get.

Yet his choices, without a change in attitude, have disappeared. He won’t need to worry about a future. It’s been decided for him. He can start practicing a useful career mantra right now.

“You want fries with that, mister?”