No Hope November - Day 9 - "Helter Skelter"

No Hope November. Helter Skelter. When I was a kid my mom had her own ideas about what was appropriate for a kid to read. She basically was of the mind that if you were interested in reading a book, and you were capable of reading it, then read it. Boy did we take advantage of this! Luckily I had a decent reading capability and poured through many books that most 10 year olds weren't reading at the time. Books written by Stephen King, John Saul, VC Andrews, and the like. One ...of the things that I read at an early age that truly affected me was Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. A brutal telling of the Manson Family murders written by the attorney that prosecuted the case. This book had tales of murder, cults, sex, drugs, ritualistic magic, mind control, courtroom drama, and everything else under the sun. I was totally fascinated and horrified by the book. Then they released a two part TV movie based on the book, and my mind was blown. Steve Railsback portrayed Charles Manson so perfectly, it was amazing. Railsback has had a long and successful career in the horror genre, but nothing that compares, in my eyes, to his performance as Manson. When I met him a few years ago I told him there was no better choice to play Uncle Charlie. I felt uneasy in this tiny little dudes presence. I didn't sleep soundly for weeks after viewing this movie. As with many things from a different time in life, you must look at things within a certain context. In other words, when I watch Helter Skelter now it is still enjoyable, but doesn't mesmerize me as it did when I was a kid. I actually have a totally different perspective and belief about the subject nowadays, but the impact of this book and movie on my life has been significant. And I have my mom and her willingness to let me read whatever the Hell I wanted to thank for that.
Let your kids read. Don't shelter them from scary stuff. Life is scary, get used to it. Expand your mind and think for yourself.