Originally uploaded by bankythehack3000
Spent time with my wonderful mother and family in Dallas Texas last week (The stars at night, are big and bright . . .). I’m glad I have such a great family. We don’t see each other a lot, but when we do, it’s not about how we’ve wronged each other in the past or a bunch of fake smiles to get through the hour or so we are around each other. We hang out, chit-chat, do what comes naturally. I can relax around my family and when you’re in a fairly big Irish Catholic one, at that, being able to relax makes me enjoy them all the more. It’s great to see the 80+ year old matriarch interact with the 12 year old grandson (who incidentally has learned to neg women. That’s my boy!)
I just wish it wasn’t around the holidays. I really hate this time of year. Why? Well holidays suck for one. Not like Britney Spears sucks where your constantly suprised at the level of suckage one can bring upon themselves, but more like David Hasselhoff, a degree of suckage you’ve come to know and expect. Because with all these new memories we are building, I just can’t let go of the ones that came before with the people missing from the picture. Like the year my dad yelled at Santa Claus to get the reindeer off the goddammned roof. Or how my brother looked like Santa Claus, quite literally, up until the day he died.
And the presents? The people who love the holidays because of the presents either have kids, are kids, or are in need of, or have had, a lobotomy. So the message to the rest of us is . . . “sorry you can’t let go of the past, here is a DVD or an iPod. Hope it works out for ya.”
Don’t get me wrong. I have a great life, a great job working in an industry that I love. I got a woman who loves me and I love her. And my dog thinks I’m the greatest. And that’s really the best gift of all, knowing all that and being able to appreciate it.
I just can’t help but notice, though, there should be 11 men on the field instead of 10.
