Originally Posted by
JuniperWoolf
In some ways I like coming back to my town during the summer. I get to actually hang out with friends I've had since birth, I love the thunderstorms in the rockies, and reading in a lawn chair on my own lawn beats reading on a park bench. However, a large part of me hates coming home, because I keep having the same casual conversation with old acquaintances over and over again. Every day I've been here so far has had at least three of these:
"Heeey, I didn't know you were in town!"
Yeah, back from Vancouver for the summer. You know, to save on rent and food."
"What are you doing these days"
Living, going to school.
"What are you taking?"
Psychology, English, Biology, Japanese, lots of things.
*confused and/or condescending expression* "What can you do with that?"
*enumerate several post-graduate options that strike me as potentially fulfilling, most of which are not high-paying and some of which don't require a degree.
"What a waste. You guys should have just stayed here, work at the mine and drive a truck like me/my family member(s)."
*polite laugh and comment about how "I'd sure make more money"*
"What's Dave doing?"
Making movies.
*incredulent expresion* "Does he make much money off that?"
Nope, next to nothing.
*Gets embarrassed and quickly changes the subject, as a man Dave is considered a failure by rural Alberta standards* "...So, when are you guys going to start a family?"
You know what I'd rather do than stay in Grande Cache, work at the mine, and start a family? I'd rather cut open my belly, pull out my entrails, wrap them around my neck, and hang myself from a tree, because at least then the suffering would be over quickly. A lot of people here are great, I watched a dozen of my favorites put out a house fire yesterday, they have personalities, they have intrerests beyond judging other people and drinking. On the other hand, some people here are just dead-eyed yokels who can't comprehend any lifestyle that isn't situated around either making money or having children.
