New Year's

[look_closely]

  I meant to write this earlier, with time still left before the year ended. But, as always, I had some responsibility to take care of first. Some task, some chore, some job someone else left undone.
   I can see in my mind all these words that people send me, one person in particular. I hear them saying them, I listen to them tell me what they

Comments

[io347]

Well, don't you email people asking for their ideas and advice? I mean...

[look_closely]

Yes, I do. But, as with all relationships, it's a give-and-take thing. Except, I'm the only one giving. I email people with what is going on, I ask them what they think about it because otherwise their ideas will never be heard. But I would like someone to listen to what I have to say too, instead of just assuming that I live only for their opinions. Do you see the difference? In one case, it's synergizing--using everyone's opinions and ideas and fusing them to make better ones. In the other, it's people saying "This is the only way! And you have no say in it!" and me having no polite way to fight back because, after all, I did ask for their opinion.

[io347]

You could ignore.

And good luck with German. My grandma lived in Germany for awhile, with my grandpa. Apparently they were really good at the language for a bit, and then they forgot it. My grandma forgot it because of disuse, and my grandpa's brain became damaged and he forgot, and then he died earlier this week. So he probably remembers it now. Sorry about the rant, good luck with German.

And why do you have to pick a religion by eighteen?

[io347]

Natalie, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry that your grandpa died. Are you doing okay?
I have to pick a religion by 18 because it's a family tradition thing. Most of my family chose Catholicism, except for DJ, who chose Mormonism. Mom chose atheism (basically) and Sam is agnostic (which I don't think actually counts, but he talked his way out of it). I'm... not sure what I am yet. It's just tradition that, once you turn 18, you have chosen your religion and you practice it.

[io347]

I'm fine. Don't worry about it, even a little bit. I was out of place to mention it; this is your journal. And I think it's odd that you have that pressure down. Can't you choose to not choose, or something?

[look_closely]

I am going to worry about it, because it's you and it's me. Tough.
I'm ordering you to call and tell me if you need anything. Got it?
And yeah, I could choose not to choose, but then, that's a choice, so it defeats that whole "rebellion" thing. It's easier to just do the research and find out what I want. And it doesn't have to be 18. It's just tradition to have it around 18. I think Derrick held out 'til he was 21.

[io347]

Just say you wanna be a buddhist, because the way that's practiced now, you could do almost anything and say you're a buddhist. It's horrible, but might work to your advantage.