A Nuclear Family That Went Nuclear

Having survived a psychologically abusive first family—which he partially recovered from by going to college—William Ballard was ejected from the U.S. Navy for being homosexual, which he worked out of his soul by going to grad school. Jumping from the frying pan into the fire, he got married, attempting to avoid being gay. Throughout this book, William describes the trials and vicissitudes of a life in academe, of home ownership and of a deteriorating marriage, as well as the joys of a happy fatherhood. He made explicit, determined efforts to do the opposite of his father by frequently saying “I love you,” I’m sorry,” and “Thank you.” to his daughter. He lived in Japan for 17 years, during which he spent three months in southern China doing field work and three months in England teaching linguistics and rhetoric. Eventually, William found and settled happily into his real gay self near the age of 60, while in Japan. He has written in detail about his experiences in his first book, “Me” Too in Japan. William returned to the U.S. in 2002 with his partner, choosing San Diego because of its weather. Readers can benefit by learning about his mistakes and avoiding them. The most important lesson of this book is: NEVER BE ASHAMED TO SAY, “I LOVE YOU.”—ESPECIALLY TO YOURSELF!