Hometown x-mas

It's been fabulous having a couple days to visit family, but more than 3 days of it is all I can handle. It's not my family, or our home, or much of anything we can control. I love my family dearly, I grew up in a nice home, and it's all quite comfortable. However, it's stuck in BFE: no shopping, few educated people, very few people I actually wanna see, etc. It's more depressing than anything really. Everyone stays in this shitty town, hangs out at wal-mart, gets fat and lives off the government. Three things I will never do. So, I have very little in common with anyone around this town.

Another crappy thing: People who never gave a shit about me when I was a lanky art chick suddenly care about what I'm doing, and ask about my accomplishments. What motivates them to do this? Not the sincere interest in my life and well-being, like one might have for a close friend, but instead their curiosity. "Is this person better off than I am? Are they making more money? Are they more successful?" Forget being genuine and compassionate, so many people I've run into have asked only to size-up themselves. It's super-crappy. So, I've decided that next time I come home, I'm not talking about writing or anything like that. I think by then I might be a janitor or a stripper. Just to give others that validation they so desperately need. I am a do-gooder.

Let's end on a not-crappy note: My parents are awesome and we never have a bad time together. We drank my home made beer, told stories, jokes, etc. and had a ball. They love my insignificant anecdotes and historical facts, which I, in turn, love. Some unforgettable quotes (somewhat explanatory of how I turned out to be a libertarian):

"Fox news is the only reliable, fair and unbiased news station on television." -my father, unfortunately.

"Jesus was a pot head. That's how he did all of that healing. The Apostles, they were just groupies, man." -my mother, in our conversation about the age-old use of medicinal marijuana and hallucinogens as part of the spiritual rites of many ancient cultures.

Somehow, I ended up right in the middle. Funny how things work out, eh?