Tension
To draw a picture: my mom, dad, sister (Grace) and myself at a dinner table. I came about halfway into the conversation due to the fact I had to go fetch a new gallon of milk. The conversation revolves around an upcoming trip to Philadelphia for Grace's matriculation into the UPenn MD/PhD program. Basically, my mom is spending several thousand dollars to fly her parents first class from Taiwan - my grandfather, her father, is currently fighting malignant liver cancer that has essentially spread to his entire body. Now, the issue is this Philly trip, because mom wants to bring them but Grace only has 5 tickets to the ceremony - mom, dad, me, our aunt, a grandparent, but then we're one short. Plus the fact that none of us are sure that my grandfather can make it around on his own for more than one day without becoming completely physically exhausted. The biggest issue now is how to get one more ticket to the matriculation - seeing as Grace doesn't really know her new classmates that well yet.
It doesn't help that around the same time, my dad will be making major changes to his department at IUPUI. Or that the whole Philly trip needs hotels booked, cars rented, and so forth. Or that mom is considering staying in Philly longer/going sooner than Dad can make. And the list goes on.
I just wish I had some colorful, deep, striking insight out of all of this. Maybe the way my mom said that it is tough to watch a man die when he's not ready to go yet. This whole trip is a gamble because he doesn't have health care in America, and, even though he'll be taking all the drugs and stuff his doctor prescribed him and visiting his doctor one more time before he leaves, the fact of the matter is he's terminally ill and anything could happen, any time.
Or maybe I could draw something of filial piety or something out of it. Sort of, the whole, who wants to give up their seat, or, in this case, ticket, for a grandparent? I mean, one option is me not going to Philly at all and going with the Taekwondo ACTS team from my school to a tournament in Minnesota that weekend. Or, perhaps, to ask our aunt to forgo the trip for a grandparent. My dad even suggested he stay home (which is not happening, no matter what).
There's a lot of tension in the house, suddenly, probably because of the whole grandparents-in-Indy thing. What do I know? I get a car and a driver's license after I get back from my Key Club Int'l Board Trainer next week. Maybe that'll be the pivot point in my life, when I get off my but and really do what needs to be done. Maybe not.
I love Whose Line. However random it seems, it definitely gets me right out of whatever my mind is on. Because it is so mindless yet funny and entertaining. In fact, I just turned it on now, and may just leave this entry open because I almost wish life could be easier. I don't know what'll happen, especially to my mom and her mom when my grandfather goes. I don't think it's wise to dwell on it now, especially before it happens. Something'll happen, I'll know what then.
It doesn't help that around the same time, my dad will be making major changes to his department at IUPUI. Or that the whole Philly trip needs hotels booked, cars rented, and so forth. Or that mom is considering staying in Philly longer/going sooner than Dad can make. And the list goes on.
I just wish I had some colorful, deep, striking insight out of all of this. Maybe the way my mom said that it is tough to watch a man die when he's not ready to go yet. This whole trip is a gamble because he doesn't have health care in America, and, even though he'll be taking all the drugs and stuff his doctor prescribed him and visiting his doctor one more time before he leaves, the fact of the matter is he's terminally ill and anything could happen, any time.
Or maybe I could draw something of filial piety or something out of it. Sort of, the whole, who wants to give up their seat, or, in this case, ticket, for a grandparent? I mean, one option is me not going to Philly at all and going with the Taekwondo ACTS team from my school to a tournament in Minnesota that weekend. Or, perhaps, to ask our aunt to forgo the trip for a grandparent. My dad even suggested he stay home (which is not happening, no matter what).
There's a lot of tension in the house, suddenly, probably because of the whole grandparents-in-Indy thing. What do I know? I get a car and a driver's license after I get back from my Key Club Int'l Board Trainer next week. Maybe that'll be the pivot point in my life, when I get off my but and really do what needs to be done. Maybe not.
I love Whose Line. However random it seems, it definitely gets me right out of whatever my mind is on. Because it is so mindless yet funny and entertaining. In fact, I just turned it on now, and may just leave this entry open because I almost wish life could be easier. I don't know what'll happen, especially to my mom and her mom when my grandfather goes. I don't think it's wise to dwell on it now, especially before it happens. Something'll happen, I'll know what then.