Even Steven

I am attempting to make somewhat of an effort to stick with this month’s focus of Relationships. I will be posting about the relationship between myself and the entire world. Ok, maybe that’s a tad extreme.  I’ll actually be indulging in writing about my relationship with basically everyone I know.

...Far more intimate than the entire world.

Since I was a young, blonde-haired, green-eyed, “don’t-go-out-past-dark-because-you’re-the-prime-target-for-kidnappers*” little girl, I've had a serious issue with getting the shorter end of the stick. It started all selfless... being more concerned with my mom being taken advantage of than myself.  (I was like, 6 and had no money so I wasn't too concerned about my cash flow dwindling.) 

Being raised my a single mom for the majority of my childhood, I learned how to be resourceful first hand. I watched her and her friends mastermind and beat the system whenever possible. Why buy napkins when you can take extra from McDonald's and bring them home?**

They had tons of schemes of their selves. Once, they combined their money and bought a washer and dryer, which was stored at our house. This meant my mom’s friends would bring their clothes, and their kid’s clothes, over to our house for my mom to do their laundry. They took turns supplying the detergent. So my mom did everyone’s laundry and bought clothes soap every third time. Um, not very fair from my perspective, today and when I was 6. Of course, I spoke my concerns to my mom and of course, being the giving person that she is, she didn't mind. She’s always been generous while I've been board line greedy. 

My selfless, look-out-for-my-mom, attitude soon transcended into constant calculations of what I owe people and what they owe me.

He drove so I’ll buy him coffee.

I paid for the first round, a random guy bought the second… she can pay for the cab home.

Because they drove to my house, I will drive us to the mall.

It’s exhausting, really.

And it’s the spirit of becoming a happier person, what this whole blog is about after all, I've made a huge effort to stop analyzing debts owed and paid between myself and the near and dear.

Besides, it all evens out in the end.... right?

Stay tuned.. –a.

*as my mom would say..
** to this day I still grab a plethora of napkins when I’m granted access to the dispenser...