Got some feedback from yesterday's post and much of it centered on me being a "sell out." My attempt to make lemonade out of lemons must have come across as a pathetic attempt to mend fences.
Let me say this, there was sincerity in my sentiment. Is it ideal driving hilly roads to backwoods locations watching folks who should know better swill beers, put kids in danger and not train immense dogs? Of course not. But did my family engage in any of those actions? Hells no. We had, and will always have, control over the situation.
Dog runs around the leash and pulls niece under it's pull. We can rescue niece and get her to safety. We can say no to the endless amounts of alcohol present and take our sober bodies home when it gets out of hand. And if we want to avoid the drama altogether, we can.
I liken it to Lars Von Trier's movie "The Idiots." That 1998 film (http://www.videodetective.com/movies/trailers/the-idiots-trailer/42338, )the first of the so-called "Dogma 95" movement, tells the story of a seemingly "anti-bourgeois" group of adults spending their time seeking their "inner idiot" to release their inhibitions. They do so by behaving in public as if they were developmentally disabled. Quite simply, without the drooling this is the role I play on my trips North. I stop short of the drooling and add a modicum of verbal communication, of course. But again, it all comes back to expectations. Have very little and rarely, if ever, will you be disappointed.
I sympathize with my wife and daughter as they are more immersed and ripe for letdown. But can you really get angry over something that is out of your control?? Adults well into their 50s have patterns of behavior that we cannot influence, for better or worse.
OK, back to other nonsense from the past few days.
First, wondering if I am the only one that uses way more shampoo than normal when I stay at other folks houses? I know I am stingy at best with home shampoo usage. But man do I pile it on when elsewhere. My hands barely contain the copious amounts lathered, rinsed and repeated. Could you get more low rent?
Finally, does anyone really care about the Royal Wedding in this country? I saw an ad the other day for the Today's show coverage for Friday and it nearly made me throw up. Will people really get up at 4am, dress as if they are going, and watch this mindless spectacle? The writing is on the wall for this union's demise as it is. We should all buy in to this elaborate hoax for what? The illusion of happiness? Of glamour? Of fairy tales???
No thanks.
As soon as the King can start/end wars, solve economic hardships, fix his country's teeth, then I will pay attention. Otherwise, this is an antiquated attempt to distract us from harsh realities. And I am not buying in.
Since when do we care about England anyway??? I keep hearing about how amazing the Princess Di/Charles wedding was. Such revisionist craziness. Sure, we had a great story for a year or so. Then they hated each other, divorced, and lived unhappily ever after until death soon followed (for the one who could not take the damn throne!!!)
Will this tale follow the story book ending we so needed from William's dad? Why on Earth would I believe that? Does Middle America want to believe it? If you are up at 4am to watch this I have a better idea.
Hit the gym. Take a jog. Read a book. Anything will be more enlightening and beneficial to your overall physical and mental well being.
Let me say this, there was sincerity in my sentiment. Is it ideal driving hilly roads to backwoods locations watching folks who should know better swill beers, put kids in danger and not train immense dogs? Of course not. But did my family engage in any of those actions? Hells no. We had, and will always have, control over the situation.
Dog runs around the leash and pulls niece under it's pull. We can rescue niece and get her to safety. We can say no to the endless amounts of alcohol present and take our sober bodies home when it gets out of hand. And if we want to avoid the drama altogether, we can.
I liken it to Lars Von Trier's movie "The Idiots." That 1998 film (http://www.videodetective.com/movies/trailers/the-idiots-trailer/42338, )the first of the so-called "Dogma 95" movement, tells the story of a seemingly "anti-bourgeois" group of adults spending their time seeking their "inner idiot" to release their inhibitions. They do so by behaving in public as if they were developmentally disabled. Quite simply, without the drooling this is the role I play on my trips North. I stop short of the drooling and add a modicum of verbal communication, of course. But again, it all comes back to expectations. Have very little and rarely, if ever, will you be disappointed.
I sympathize with my wife and daughter as they are more immersed and ripe for letdown. But can you really get angry over something that is out of your control?? Adults well into their 50s have patterns of behavior that we cannot influence, for better or worse.
OK, back to other nonsense from the past few days.
First, wondering if I am the only one that uses way more shampoo than normal when I stay at other folks houses? I know I am stingy at best with home shampoo usage. But man do I pile it on when elsewhere. My hands barely contain the copious amounts lathered, rinsed and repeated. Could you get more low rent?
Finally, does anyone really care about the Royal Wedding in this country? I saw an ad the other day for the Today's show coverage for Friday and it nearly made me throw up. Will people really get up at 4am, dress as if they are going, and watch this mindless spectacle? The writing is on the wall for this union's demise as it is. We should all buy in to this elaborate hoax for what? The illusion of happiness? Of glamour? Of fairy tales???
No thanks.
As soon as the King can start/end wars, solve economic hardships, fix his country's teeth, then I will pay attention. Otherwise, this is an antiquated attempt to distract us from harsh realities. And I am not buying in.
Since when do we care about England anyway??? I keep hearing about how amazing the Princess Di/Charles wedding was. Such revisionist craziness. Sure, we had a great story for a year or so. Then they hated each other, divorced, and lived unhappily ever after until death soon followed (for the one who could not take the damn throne!!!)
Will this tale follow the story book ending we so needed from William's dad? Why on Earth would I believe that? Does Middle America want to believe it? If you are up at 4am to watch this I have a better idea.
Hit the gym. Take a jog. Read a book. Anything will be more enlightening and beneficial to your overall physical and mental well being.
I have no use for Royal Wedding, but in this country it takes its form as Housewives, and Jersey Shore "Reality" shows.
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