The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-11-16
JACKSON WAS NOT
BORN QUEER
JANETTE STEVENSON
MURRAY

Fred Jackson had lost his position
again. He had been clerking in
clothing store and just before that
had been selling autos. He had way
of drifting from one thing to another,
never holding any position long. He
was intelligent and did his work salts
factorily, but he could not get along
with people. His friends said, "Well
Fred is just bit queer, you know"
He had no inclination toward crime
as often happens with people who find
themselves at odds with the world; his
danger was drifting into some form
Of nervousness or melancholia.
At this juncture, former college
friend persuaded Jackson to see a
psychiatrist, to try to learn the cause
of his trouble. Tracing backward,
this specialist found Jackson had been
considered queer and offish in college,
in high school and all through the
grades. These same characteristics
had been noticeable, also, in his home
life, down through all the different
age periods, to the time when he was
mere toddler. There, it appeared,
the trouble had started.
When Fred was two years old, un-
wise behavior on the part of the
adults in the family had caused the
coming of a baby brother to be to him
a real tragedy. A jealousy had de-
veloped that had been fatal to his sue
cess and happiness.
How could a childish jealousy have
warped this mans life?
Because of generations of family
solidarity, it is natural for child to
welcome wholeheartedly new brother
or sister. In Fred's case, however,
this natural tendency was ruthessly
destroyed by other members of the
family.
There were number of unmarried
aunts and uncles. They talked about
Fred's nose being "out Of joint, pre-
tended not to see him and lavished at
tention upon Baby Ned. Fred soon
began to resent this. Then his be-
loved father joined in with the Others
Young and thoughtless, he found it
amusing, every day when he came
from work, to tease Fred by petting
the baby.
They gave the baby Fred's own
white bed. So at every chance he
could get, Fred slipped into the room
and pulled the blankets off the baby,
slyly pinched him or snatched the
bottle out Of his mouth. He liked to
hear the baby cry. Having to be con-
stantly watched made Fred real
problem, and in her vexation Mother
punished him repeatedly.
With so much scolding and punish
ing, Fred became still more unhappy.
Mother talked about his bad dispo-
sition, SO different from that of his
brother. Ned was better looking and
quicker to learn, so, all in all, his
parents became very partial to him.
They were constantly comparing the
boys, telling Fred he ought to get as
good grades as Ned and pointing out
how popular the latter was. A child
usually lives up to his parents esti-
mate, so Fred became disagreeable,
revengeful and sullen, drawing within
himself more and more as he met with
neither sympathy nor understanding.
The psychiatrist soon won Fred's
confidence, and he poured out all his
rebellion against parental partiality,
pent up through the years. Talking
it over was great relief-indeed, in
the telling, much of the trouble
vanished.
The psychiatrist talked with Fred's
parents and brother. They were dis
tressed and took an entirely new at
titude toward him. 1t was decided
that they must help him to gain
better evaluation in the neighborhood
and among family friends. Unosten-
tatious efforts were made to bring him
out and above all to make him happy.
They said nice things about him, en-
tertained people who might become
his friends and tried to have him ap-
pear at his best. Ned even arranged
some double dates. Before long Fred
was fortunate in securing an office job
which was more to his liking and bet
ter suited to his ability than selling.
Within six months, he had earned
promotion and seems now on the high
road to becoming a well-balanced
man. The wounds are healing, but how
unnecessary they were! And the scars
will they ever entirely disappear?