You know, there's something to be said for staying and toughing it out, as it were, but at some point you have to take a step back, take a long, considering look, and ask yourself, "is it worth being this unhappy?"
Which is where Lewis and I found ourselves, in our particular case. We didn't move from Ohio to Jacksonville because we particularly wanted to. This was a case where we did it for the benefit of our kids and it was the right choice for that time. However, I think we've gotten the most out of our time here and at this point, the negatives far outweigh any future benefits.
Which is not a response to anything in particular, just me parsing stuff out in the wake of poor Lewis being ambushed by his parents yesterday.
Thanks, flea. If I have to take to a boat, I'll paddle your way. Last night, my sloped yard looked like a river and the terraced parts like waterfalls. By the light of day, I see that a depressing amount of my back yard is on my patio and there are deep gullies in my vegetable garden and a couple of newly planted collard plants are on their way to the sea. Today's weather looks to be more of the same.
Alyson, my personal opinion is that the anger that men feel toward fat or otherwise unattractive-to-them women is a general misogyny thing, not just an anti-fat thing.
Some men feel that we, as women, *owe* it to them to look (and act, to some extent) like someone they want to fuck. If we dare to be unfuckable (to them) and seem OK WITH IT, then that ignites the rage. How dare we? How dare we live our lives not according to WHAT THEY WANT and what they desire?
The misogyny, it burns.
I think you are probably right there, Nora.
Awesome tat, Allyson!
I moved away from my family 35 years ago or so. It could be we are closer because I was gone as soon as I was an adult.
So I got in at 8 for and 8:30, only to check email and learn it's been moved to 9. I shouldn't resent that, right?
Is it a New Jersey thing? [link]
...one out of every three New Jersey conservatives think that Obama could be the anti-Christ. To be precise, 18% of self-identified conservatives affirmatively say that Obama is the anti-Christ, with 17% not sure. Among the self-identified Republican label, it's 14% who say Obama has the number 666 hidden underneath his hair, plus 15% who aren't sure.
It's sad how right that sounds, Nora.
I think the difference between moving as a good for change vs. ineffective thing can be understood by being aware of what is making oneself unhappy/stagnant. I have a book about changing your life to be a life you enjoy and the first task in that book is to write down 100 things that annoy you. It can become VERY clear if one's surroundings are holding you down, or if it is something else (like a job field, an addiction/habit pattern, yourself/attitude, spouse/mate). If you don't know how to be happy with yourself or the way you live your life, then it won't matter where you live. Kinda like budgetting. If you never learn to live on $X a month, then chances are you will still have difficulty on $2X (providing X is at least enough to meet basic needs).
I think the difference between moving as a good for change vs. ineffective thing can be understood by being aware of what is making oneself unhappy/stagnant.
This is pretty key, IMO. If you hate where you live, then moving is probably going to be a productive solution. But sometimes problems can follow you around.
I had some terrible sushi last night and am still feeling the results. Not full-blown food poisoning, thank god, but still pretty oogy. (Sushi Dan near Lincoln Center, FYI NYistas. That place has gone WAY downhill. The tempura was still okay.)
Allyson, the tattoo is AWESOME. Love it.
