Boarding school trauma

I spent four years at this place in England — Stowe school:

If it looks beautiful to you, let me confirm — it’s absolutely stunning. It’s truly one of the most beautiful, picturesque places I’ve ever been to. People pay to have special once-in-a-life events at Stowe, like weddings; and I walked on Stowe grounds every day, for hundreds of days. When you’re young you tend to be less aware of the aesthetic aspect of your surroundings, but my schoolmates and I — we were teenagers — understood even then that we were in a very special place.

Yet, my boarding school years left a scar. Without Stowe, my life journey — with its incredible intensity, international travels, and the experience of some of the world’s most renowned institutions, would have been a lot less special probably. Still, the scar is there. In my 40s now, I’m still a little upset with my parents. I’m still reconciling their decision to send me away. I wouldn’t do it to my kids. I don’t understand why anyone would send their kid away to boarding school, save for some special circumstances — say, when parents are separated.

No, I wasn’t bullied. I mean, sure, it was a tough environment — every now and then I had to stand up for…