Family is ...

If you know me and my family, you will know that we are odd ducks in this society. My family keeps to themselves for the most part. They like it that way, or so it seems. I "liked" it that way, too, until I was about 16 when I realized that there was a whole world out there that I was missing. Ah, but that's another story.

My grandmother called me this evening and even though I don't think she meant to, I detected luggage being packed for the proverbial guilt trip. My family (mother's side) gets together for anything and everything. Family is the social outlet. For most of the family, there isn't another. So, we get together for every birthday, every anniversary (there are getting to be fewer of those considering most of the group is divorced at least once) every major holiday (whether we practice that religion or not) and many minor holidays. Well, this 4th of July, I'm not available damn it. I'm spending most of the day with my father and then the evening with some friends. It is my father's birthday, after all.

Family is important. Family can be very important, but they are only a part of the equation. Family <> 1. Family may = 0.95 but unless you have a very diverse family, I wouldn't recommend it. My family used to = 1 for me. Now they equal ~0.60 and some of the family members don't seem to like the demotion. What they don't understand is that you can only learn so much from your own tribe. In order to become a better person, it's a good idea to incorporate other tribes in the mix. If you don't, you tend to get a very one-sided view of life. You may be able to perpetuate the "good" of the tribe, but you don't get the chance to incorporate other tribes' "good", too.

So where am I going with this? Ah, who knows? I'm probably just trying to come up with a good reason to break tribal law this next weekend. That, or I'm trying to say that you need friends, too. After all, they hang around because they like you. Your family is obligated to hang around, at least to some degree.

Enjoy your life, if you can.