Let me just say that my Uncle Dave, Aunt Janeen, Aunt Jeanne, and Dave Dacar (spelling?- sorry Dave) are saints. The amount of time, energy, and real work you all put into getting 489 Paradise Drive looking like it looks right now is phenomenal. I can only imagine all of the boxing up, wiping down, and throwing away that needed to happen. Thank you all sooooooooo much for that. I know that you all know- better than any of us- how much you put into helping Mary Nell and Gordon- but I wanted to just acknowledge how much you all have done to help them with this huge transition.
Grandma is, as to be expected, quite agitated and stressed out. I imagine that once all of the big moving is done, and they are completely out of the old place and into the new, that she will slowly begin to feel more settled. She, as some of you may know, has again been "experimenting" with her insulin- which we all means that she is not taking her insulin. In a more tense moment yesterday (and after Grandpa in his cute, sweet way asked if I'd put a word in with Grandma)- Granny was directing me as to how to properly steam green beans (and after having ignored such coommands for the better part of the day), she started telling me that I wasn't open to doing things that people told me to do. I pounced. I quite loudly confronted her with the glaring truth that she was also quite unskilled with being told what to do- I think my exact words were: "oh yeah, well how do you do with listening to the things other people tell you what to do? how about you take your damned insulin?" Somewhat unfortunate that I was upset and I more or less yelled at Granny- but she shut up pretty quick and she's actually been more cautious with barking orders at me.
Anyhow- it's just intense seeing how hard this whole process is for her. Change. Big Change. Change for the better- but change nonetheless.
My move seems like the yin to their yang. I mean I can fit my whole life into one ten-foot van. How hilarious is that? Actually, even more hilarious for me, has been when I tell people who know me about that I am renting a Uhaul and they say- "you have enough stuff for a Uhaul?"
I know- I only acquired a bed this year. I have two bikes, a drum, and enough clothes to fill half a closet. I think calling myself a minimalist is still a stretch. But the irony is, what with my grandparent's moving, I am getting a couch, a lazy boy chair, two bookshelves, a filing cabinet, and some basic kitchen stuff. It feels both strange and right that I should be getting the stuff that they don't need.
The funny thing that I seem to be realizing more and more is how much I strangely thrive off this drama. I don't feel like I get sucked into so much as it keeps me feeling like I have something to balance against. It's almost like when there's tons of intense things going on all around, it forces me to be more calm inside. I mean, whatever, clearly I am not immune to getting sucked in and yelling at Grandma. But I do think I that I am finding some strange sense of calm in all this chaos. And, as the boys from Spinal Tap say...
...why not?
too funny Ikey.. I love your clarity as well as the verbal capacity to write... your thoughts. This blog I think is in fact a creative writing course extrodanaire. I even think it will prove helpful in the "huge" amount of writing you may have ahead of you in grad school. At this point sitting in my empty flat with a few leftover items and 2 bikes. I too am in transition as I have pointed out... the bike ride will help me "de-tox" from the toxic environment (work related issues) and blow new energy into my soul to work towards a new life... You have helped me with this... just watching your growth in many ways.. cheerio sonny boy... cheerio..
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