Ryan Zofay

She was actually stabbed 13 times by my stepfather.

Jeez.

And my father wasn't really there during this time.

He was incapable.

He didn't want to lose my mom.

And so my mom was just in these abusive relationships.

And when I would try to turn to my dad for that emotional support, he was incapable of doing so.

So would you say he kind of gave up on you?

I mean, I just don't think he, looking back, knowing what I know now, he was, you know, left to his own devices.

You know, that was what he learned from his parents.

You know, my father's father was a ranger in the 82nd Airborne, so it was like tough love, work hard, don't express yourself, don't show your emotions, provide for the family, kind of keep your head down and grind it out.

And that was the way my dad was.

He didn't know how to express himself.

Right, right.

What do you think about tough love?

Because that's how I was raised too.

I mean, you know, I have a different perspective today.

That was what I was exposed to.

And typically, our exposed environment builds our character, builds our belief systems, builds the model of our world.

And then we grow older, and it directly impacts the choices and the decisions that we make.