Five Things Meme

[mizzoumark]

5 Things I was Doing 10 years Ago:
(1) Checking groceries at Albertson's
(2) Taking Spanish at Quad C
(3) Trying to decide when, or even if, I was going to go back to school full-time
(4) Living with my parents
(5) Wondering what the future held for me

5 Things On My To-Do List Today:
(1) Look for certain docs for work
(2) Pay bills
(3) Get an

Comments

Australia and Thanksgiving

[kirkw3]

I moved to Australia with my mother and first stepfather around 1970. I returned to the U.S. with my mother and "new" half-brother when my mother left that stepfather in 1972. I was quite young at the time, having left the U.S. at the age of 4 and returned at the age of 6. Hence, I don't know much of the story behind the move. I can speculate it may have been related to the sociopolitical turmoil that affected this country at the time but I can't know for sure. I'm more certain of the reasons for the return. The stepfather was controlling and slightly abusive at times.

My impression of the place at that time was that it was similar to the U.S. except that culturally it felt a decade or two earlier than the equivalent time here. Technology was a little backward (color television was still in the experimental stages, for example) but that seemed more of a curiosity than a drawback. People were much, much friendlier, especially with strangers. I'm still impressed by that. Life was slower and less hectic and less competitive. Living conditions were less crowded. Being as young as I was, I wasn't aware of economic conditions and couldn't say how more or less difficult it was to get by and live there. Overall, my impression was positive.

I've never much pondered the idea of going back because, of course, I cannot. As it is in many Western countries outside the U.S., immigration is more tightly restricted. Also, I've been around long enough to know how easy it is for the grass to seem greener on the other side. Still, it's an entertaining thought. I'm glad that I've had the opportunity to live there and to visit a few other countries including Canada. There seem to be some differences in the people. It's easy for some Americans to think that the U.S. is the greatest and only decent country on the planet. I often think otherwise. Everytime I leave my home and go out into this place, I feel as alienated as if I were on a different planet. The mean, domineering, power hungry, self-absorbed, hyper-ambitious, hyper-competitive, hyper-materialistic, pop culture worshipping, simple-minded, religiously obsessed people who comprise the vast majority of the population of this country alienate me. It sounds as if I don't care for them too much. I just can't seem to find much in common with them in my basic values. I suspect there may be localities in other countries where people have a different set of cultural values. One can wonder if such is the case in some places down under.

Thanksgiving wasn't too bad. My long-time Mormon friend let me eat a traditional turkey dinner with his family on Thursday. The food was a decent, healthy change for me. Then we stayed up late playing a card game and talking about what has been happening at my friend's place of employment since I lost my job last December. I'm proud that I made up my mind to avoid the 800 pound gorilla (his family's religion and extremist sociopolitical views) by keeping quiet and simply having a pleasant dinner. It was sometimes awkward with the "Yes on 102" and "McCain/Palin" signs propped in the corner and all the large color posters of temples, Mormon historical characters, and statements of doctrines hanging on the walls. But, I did it and am proud of my forebearance. It was important to keep in touch with my friend and maintain a positive relationship with him and his family. It had been a while since I'd seen them.

On Friday, Carlos took me and an acquaintance we had made recently out to the Maccaroni Grille. Since then, I've just taken it easy. I didn't even log onto the internet for the entire holiday period until now, which is why this reply is so late.

Kirk