On the other side of Right.

It feels funny to have some time where things are calm and restful. I haven't checked my messages yet this morning, so we'll see how long things stay that way. The other thing that comes into play is that we'll see how upset my supervisor is with me for not telling her yesterday that I was putting in my two weeks. That's right, my time at the Borders store in downtown Ann Arbor is quickly coming to a close. (This only means that I'll be transferring to another store--but not before I take a decent chunk of time off.)

A new six month strategy has come into play. Because the mom has gotten sick, something called dermatomyositis, and it is pretty clear that I need to be the Responsible One again and move back home once the lease ends. The little sister goes to college and Mom cannot live alone, no matter how much she suggests that this is possible. Amber and I were going to find a short lease here in Ann Arbor, but going home the other day made it very clear that I should go home, no matter what she says. Long ago, I was introduced to someone called Reality and haven't given up that assosication yet.

I tell myself, there are worse things in the world. Because, absolutely, there are.

There is something inexplicably awful about being the caretaker of a parent. Not for the selfish reasons of throwing a cog into The Plan of whatever it is that is coming up (in this case, it's very good for everyone that I have no idea what I'm doing anytime soon and have the most fluid plans ever). It's something a bit worse than realizing your parents aren't the end all be all of human beings when you're a little kid. It's the first (real) lesson of the frailty of the body outside of all the stupid injuries that youth brings.

While it is hard to stomach losing the excitement of something Great that was to come, I'm trying to keep in mind all the benefits of moving home. Quick calculations told me that I could have six grand saved up by the time I leave in February if I stick to the 40 hours a week thing at my low-paying job.

Either way, I think four will be sufficient and that will allow a lot of slacking time. To watch more films (you should see the queue of their netflix), read the books I always meant to (beginning with Roald Dahl's The Umbrella Man) and contact enough people in the Metro Area to have lunch so that hopefully I may have a better idea of what I want to do in the future. Beyond this, there is the opportunity to take the time to learn how to cook like I've always wanted to. She has dietary restrictions that will force us to spend the money on better foods, take the time to cook things. Currently, I am dreaming of kitchen utensils I never needed before.

Until then, I may buy some books from work about the GMAT and LSAT. Who knows? Right?



Either way, I will begin working intensively toward my Genius Award. And I will finally have time to do more community service. Working for another non-profit would be nice. And hopefully I may find a way to do fundraising for Michigan.

Who knows. This may be something uncomfortable that I may not like discussing a ton, but every bad day is an opportunity to change something else your way.