It can be difficult to get close to people when you're being used as nothing but a weapon. But that's also not the life you're living any longer.
I've always just thought magic was simply science we don't understand yet. The magic users here might disagree on that, though.
That is a genuine tragedy. If you'd like, I can walk you through a few basic and easy to customize Thai dishes. Pad thai is one of the few non-sweets I can convince my kid to eat.