Distance Between Two Points

Good news and bad news coming down the pipeline this week. Most of it involves my dad and the pressure on him to travel everywhere in a week.

For those who don't know, My parents have been divorced for a few years now. It should be around four this month. My mother and him were living separately for a while before that. The whole thing put a scar on me that I still feel once in a while. I remember once incident in particular when I was thirteen or fourteen, during my religious education class. My parents were going to have their divorce hearing that day, and I was bummed out to say the least. Before I know it, I'm sitting in the bathroom in tears over the whole thing, at a point where everything was too much to handle. The hearing was moved, so I was relieved for a little. Even if the divorce did happen eventually, I at least got to see my dad on a weekly basis. I feel sorry for kids in my position who see their parents less often, or never get to see them again after walking out that door for the last time. Those kids need the support as well, whether from their family or friends.

With these prices going up the way they are, I have a feeling the distance between my father and I might get wider. He lives only a half-hour away, but I don't know how long he intends to stay there. He has talked about moving somewhere less expensive than Jersey, and with his job the way it is, he might move closer to North Carolina. Topped with the prices getting out of hand, our time together might only get shorter than it already is. Talking to him by phone is better than not talking at all, but I would like to see him in person. I'm a lot more comfortable talking to him directly than over a phone, and i don't want that to change.

I suppose the only good news to come out of all this is also for my dad. Since fuel is so damn expensive, my dad's boss has decided to have him fly down south for business instead of driving down like he normally does. I guess he figured driving all that way wasn't really a good idea with fuel the way it is. I am glad at least one thing is working out for my dad.

The same doesn't look to apply to me though. A few of my family members are considering moving in the near future, some to places farther away from my house than they currently are. If they decide to do so, the distance between me and everyone other than me will just increase. Not being able to see my family as often is something I would rather live without.

Catching Up and Staying In

Sorry for not reporting in last week folks. Too much to do and so little time. That, and my wireless shorted out on me.

So, two questions from the eight this week: What have I changed about my life, and what can't I do anymore?

1. I haven't seen much of a shock over here in Jersey just yet, but I'm sure we will get something soon. When New York City feels it, so will we. Prices have gone up a little, but we stocked up on staples before any of this business came about. Refills might not be as much of an option, so we are trying to use everything that can expire, and freezing all the leftovers for later. Edible scraps go to the pets, but we still need a way to use the rest of the food. Perhaps compost is the way to go.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to be a little more conscious about recycling my daily newspapers and soda cans. The way I see it, less trash means less in landfills, which means less that will have to be incinerated later on. I'm practicing good habits and reducing the impact of pollution by a little bit. I really ought to encourage my family to be a little more conscious as well. We don't even have a regular recycling can at home, so I have to stick a label on a regular can! Point is, I'm not going to be able to help the environment by myself. I believe recycling has untapped potential that could be of a lot of use in the coming weeks...but that is another story.


2. The real problem with the oil prices and my time comes from not being able to travel as much as we did. My family and I usually eat at home now or order out, but even delivery is becoming more expensive with each week. If we want to see our relatives, we have to relegate our trips to once a month now due to their distance from home and the route we take to get there (the New Jersey Turnpike).

Despite all of this, my dad still comes to see us every week despite the driving back and forth. He is a real trooper, but it can't be good for his wallet to constantly drive like that. He has a decent job ,but he shouldn't have to drive a half-hour for our sakes. He's usually pretty laid back if faced with a problem, but I feel like I should offer him some cash so he doesn't have to pay for it all by himself. Part of me feels like I would be giving back for all that he has done for me and all he has sacrificed, but I'm still unsure. What do you folks think I ought to do about it?