Gee, no pressure. Where to start on this Ask Metafilter thread about people's formative childhood memories or experiences? It shouldn't be surprising but a lot of the comments people are making involve something their parents did, for better and for worse:
black8: When I was seven, my father bought me a turntable and allowed me access to his record collection. 30 years and thousands of dollars in gear and recordings later, music is my passion.Formative childhood experiences? [ask metafilter, via waxy]johnj: ...during 6th grade, I was punched by a bully. I did not fight back because violence is wrong. I told my dad about it, proud that I took the high road, proud that I had a mature revelation about violence and the importance of alternative resolution methods. He thought I was being childish\stupid and he berated me for it.
From that day on, I have known that when it comes to paternal guidance and fatherly support, I am completely on my own. I was only 10 but I remember that day because it was the day I "lost" my father.
After I got beat up badly one time by this nut in high school my dad said to me "It only seems like cheating when you are lying on your back in a puddle of your own p*** and blood". It was a heart warming moment, second only to our sex talk "Don't you go and get some girl pregnant, or I'll kill you."