This week's Decent Human Being is author Shelly Edwards Jorgensen. Her story is about her mother's murder. Other topics include alcoholism, domestic violence, sexual assault, and arson. You can buy her memoir on Amazon.com.

Shelly knew trouble was brewing. Her dad was a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde alcoholic, and on this day he was preparing dinner and drinking Manhattans in his robe when he should have been getting ready for work. She ran interference when her mom came home from work earlier than expected, but that wasn't enough to save her life.

Shelly's dad was a lot of things. He was smart, successful, and charismatic, and she remembers times when he was a fun and loving dad. He was also an alcoholic, an abuser, and after this night, a murderer. He'd been threatening to kill the family and burn the house down since she was at least 6 years old, so when her neighbor picked her and her sister up from basketball practice and told them there'd been a fire, they both knew.

Shelly spent the next two-and-a-half years living with a murderer. The initial autopsy said that her mother died of natural causes, but he was eventually arrested and she had to testify against him at trial. It was not ideal. After years of healing aided by therapy and her faith, Shelly wrote her memoir, Beautiful Ashes .

More From Shelly

• Read Shelly's blog
• Follow on Facebook
• Listen to her other interviews

Mentioned in This Episode

• Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich
• Wendy's biscuits and gravy

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Creators & Guests

• Shelly Edwards Jorgensen - Guest

This week's Decent Fucking Human is Michelle. Her fucked up story is about growing up with a learning disability called dyscalculia. Other topics include bullying, shame, limited hand dexterity, and visual perception issues.

Michelle is a smart woman. That will become clear as you listen to the episode, but I need to say it because people with learning disabilities don't always get the benefit of the doubt. There were times when Michelle was told that she had a limited ceiling because she had dyscalculia, but all of those people were eventually proved wrong. Those people are what we sometimes call haters, and Michelle had no time for them.

Michelle's life wasn't always easy, but I don't think that's what this episode is about. She was a misfit who was bullied, she struggled at school, and she had the haters I mentioned earlier, but she also had adults who did the right things for her. She was able to get assessed for a learning disability early, and her parents who did everything they could to support her.

More From Michelle

• Read Michelle's blog
• Follow Michelle on Facebook
• Check out the other Podcast appearances

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Taxpayers
• Scott's Dog Bologna
• Mortified podcast

Follow our socials:

Instagram: @positivelyterrible

Facebook: @positivelyterrible

Wanna Tell a fucked up story or be the first to get a Decent Fucking Human Tattoo? Send us an email at podcast@positivelyterrible.com

Creators & Guests

• Michelle Steiner - Guest

This week's Decent Fucking Human is Paula. Her fucked up story is about being raised by a toxic mother who tried to murder her as an infant. Other topics in this episode include narcissistic abuse, alcoholism, and anxiety.

Paula's mother tried to kill her. She was only 3 months old the first time it happened, and five months old the second. It's taken her a lifetime to piece together and process what happened, and there are still friends, family, and acquaintances who don't believe her story.

It's not surprising that people don't want to believe her. Mothers hold a special place in society, and many want to believe that even the most flawed ones are well-intentioned. They're often given the benefit of the doubt, and abuse is overlooked until either charges are filed or the funeral is scheduled.

What makes Paula's story more complicated is that the only proof she has is her memory. It's hard to believe that anyone can remember anything from such a young age, but there is growing evidence that infants can remember traumatic events. Even if you're skeptical, I'd encourage you to reserve judgment and have a listen. There's still a story here about a woman who was raised by a toxic mother and has done a whole lot of work to heal.

More From Paula

• Soft Skill Strategy Courses: softskillstrategycourses.com
• More on DISC and behavioral styles: smilessparksuccess.com
• Soft Skills Facebook group

Follow our socials:

Instagram: @positivelyterrible

Facebook: @positivelyterrible

Wanna Tell a fucked up story or be the first to get a Decent Fucking Human Tattoo? Send an email to podcast@positivelyterrible.com

Creators & Guests

• Terrible Scott - Host
• Producer Dan - Host
• Paula Kramer - Guest