Although my birth was amidst the rare blizzard that ensued on March 20, 1984, it created a different chaos for those I was was born to. My conception was an unwanted surprise to two individuals who came from very different backgrounds and who had only recently graduated high school and entered adulthood. It was evident early on that neither was ready for the challenges of parenthood, causing my father to take off and be absent for the first phase of my life. As a result, there is no father listed on my birth certificate and I was given my mother's maiden last name. It took a few years, but with the influence of his mother and prospective wife, he came around. However, in spite of his presence here and there, he was still mostly absent...physically and emotionally. It was clear that my mother harbored animosity towards him by her cold demeanor in his presence. She spoke very little to him or about him, especially if I was in earshot. In fact, I remember waiting for him to pick me u...