Hi Scott,
Isn't life interesting? How different we all are and yet so much alike? You weren't around young children or cousins. I was around both and neither of them liked me much nor I, them. I also got along better with animals than people. You liked snakes and I love spiders! I'm always gathering them up carefully in a tissue to put them outside on a leaf when I find them in the house. I even got my husband to stop killing them! I can't see killing anything that can make something as beautiful as a spider web!
You mentioned that the big family you married into is "hands off". That's too bad or maybe not. When my husband died only one of his three sons from a former marriage contacted me. They hadn't contacted my husband for five years prior to his death.
Yet, life goes on and we cope the best we can. I'm getting used to being alone and in some ways even enjoying being alone. You are communicating very well and interesting despite all of your physical problems. I guess we both have God to thank for our positive situations.
PML