The chapter pretty much took me back to the last one, where we saw just how crucial nurture can be for the development of a child.  In this case, we have Leon and his older brother Frank, both of whom grew up in the same household but with a drastically different upbringing.  Growing up, the mother of the two spent a substantial amount of time with Frank, taking him on walks and other places like the children's museum.  Frank received love and affection during the times he would spend with his mother.  Consequently, Frank grew up to with a decent life, good job, and family of his very own.

But Leon's experience was a little different.  During those "walks" that the mother would take with Frank, Leon would be left alone in the dark apartment until their return.  The mother, unsure of how to deal with Leon doing his fussy episodes, abandoned Leon as he continued to cry while she spent time bonding with Frank.  Once they moved, Leon's mother did not have support from her family to help her with Leon, and so Leon continued his days without the necessary loving and nurturing environment that Frank grew in.

It's curious to think about what could have happened if Leon had been raised without such neglect and had had more opportunities to experience human connection.  It also makes me think about the assumptions we make about people. I feel like it's often the case that we, as a society, are quick to jump to conclusions.  We are quick to denounce and judge others for their actions without taking into consideration that they might have been raised under certain circumstances that influenced who they became as a person. We look at jails and we see criminals behind bars and say to ourselves, "Serves them right", or, "It was their choice". And granted, sure.  One could argue that it was their choice.  But I would venture to say that a lot of them would not be there if those circumstances had been different.  I worked with these individuals for a year and I realized just how devoid of love and affection they were.  I learned how meaningful it was for them to have someone sit with them and listen to them because it was something that they had rarely ever experienced. Perhaps even never.