(Note: although I am starting this thread in reference to my gripes, I hope that other college-aged Dopers’ll add their own. Who knows, this thread could prevent some in-family homicides ;)).
Okay. So I got home at 11 o’clock last night, and it is now 7 o’clock tonight. In this time, I’ve realized something:
My family has gotten very annoying.
I really didn’t notice it until right now. I mean, I always sorta knew my dad could be a pain in the ass when it came to certain things. And occaisionally, my sister and mom would join in with their own little annoyances. I’m sure, though, that it was never, ever this bad.
Instance the first–my being on the computer right now. There are SEVERAL annoyances that go with this.
First of all, I only have until eight o’clock. This is because my sister wants to play Roller Coaster Tycoon at eight. If she doesn’t, it therefore follows that the Earth will explode, time will come to an abrupt halt, the universe will collapse upon itself, and gasp N’sync will break up. In short, I will be off the computer at eight, or I will die. Normally, I wouldn’t mind this, except for the fact that she was already on for two hours this afternoon, whereas until six fifty-eight this evening, I had yet to touch a keyboard.
But, okay, fine, I can share. Hell, I can go on the other computer—oh WAIT, I can’t. Why not? Well, we just got a cable modem, which is supposed to be great. Is it? No. See, my dad hasn’t hooked up the other computer. And he has already changed my AOL account (which my parents graciously pay for) to BYO ISP. So the other computer can’t access the net without a hefty charge which my parents do not want. So no net access for Gabe. And, of course, my sister can’t play on that computer. :rolleyes:
Now, WHY hasn’t the other computer been hooked up? 'Cause my dad wants me to help. Yeah, me. Gabe. Otherwise known as the girl who once flicked the solder off the soldering iron in physics class because she didn’t realize it was going to be hot. I an NOT someone who is especially good at setting up important things that involve electricity and/or nails (I’m okay with screws, make of that what you will). In fact, I’m someone you want as far away from this sort of thing as possible. At least, you want me as far away as possible if you’re a perfectionist who wants everything done to damn near military standards. So it makes perfect sense that, he, A PERSON WHO IS A FRIGGIN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER AND WHO USED TO INSTALL CABLE FOR A LIVING would wait for me to come home so that he could hook up the computer.
Then, aside from the computer, there are other things. There’s my mom, whom I honestly don’t remember being this snippy. I mean, man, it’s one mean, snide comment after another. Christ. I love my mom, I love her to death, but I wish she would stop. And I also wish that she and my 13 year-old sister would stop fighting all the time. It’s mostly my sister’s fault, but half the time my mom won’t act like a goddamn adult about it, and I end up mediating. They called me on the way to my campus JUST SO I COULD MEDIATE. My God…I don’t want to live with two teenagers.
And my dad. My dad who I want to tell that he might have clinical depression, but who would probably kill me if I did. He’s been kind of sick lately because of stress–he got shingles–so I figure I can cut him some slack. But according to my mom, he’s been coming home early every day and then bitching about how he’s scared he’ll lose his job. Now, I’ve only held one job before, but I know that a key part of staying employed is to NOT LEAVE EARLY EVERY DAY. Additionally, since I’ve been home, he has not left the master bedroom. He lies on the bed all day. He watches TV. He eats. This is not healthy. Today, he didn’t get up until almost 11. Right afterwards, about half an hour after he woke up, my mom, my sister, and I go to my grandma’s (mom’s mom) to visit. We get back about three hours later, and my dad’s PISSED because he wanted to take my mom out to eat. It was like 2 PM when he said this. He gets mad at my mom because of it and slams doors and stuff. He didn’t say anything to her about wanting to take her out…how was she supposed to know. Plus I can tell he hasn’t bathed in a while; I brought this up to my mom and he says that it “hurt too bad.” Bloody hell. I give myself a week before I bring it up, because spending the summer with a passive aggressive, depressed person is certainly not what I want to do.
So that’s it, that’s the basics. I pretty much think that most of it is me; that I’ve been so used to being halfway-autonomous that being at home is a painful adjustment. I just can’t help but think, though, that some of it is them and not me. Additionally, it’s a pain because my dad is working at trying to push me back into my former subservient role, whereas my college friends–one in particular–have been working for a semester to help me to change that.
I wonder if I’m the only one to feel this way about her family. Or if my family is just fucked up. I hope my dad doesn’t lose his job, and I wish I had opted for summer school, 'cause, frankly, being home sucks.
