A person either does whatever it takes to survive or they don't

 Survival often is not about what is good or bad. Survival often is about doing whatever it takes to survive.

I can remember growing up and though I really liked my Dad there were things that I didn't agree with him about. So, my attitude was more like "What do I need to survive everything in my life?"

And telling my parents about everything that was going on inside me wasn't something I felt I could do and survive my life.

I found starting at age 5 when they gave me a bicycle that I could get on my bicycle and be a block or a mile from home often either alone or with a friend and I felt free as a bird when I did this.

It's true that there often were turf wars between children or young adults even then in the 1950s where a person might grab you off your bicycle and beat you up for no real reason but that you were there and were a stranger to them or they might allow their dog to attack you also.

But, I found generally speaking that I liked the idea of being wild and free like a bird and my fear of other people I could usually manage and I could always pedal really fast if people were chasing me for any reason at all.

I'm trying to get at something really important here and I'm not really sure I'm succeeding at this point.

But, basically in life, if you don't do whatever it takes to survive at each and every age then you don't.