Day 4,055 —Recovery and More Time with my Family—

 

I visited my family yesterday and today to check on my grandmother, and it is always fascinating to hear how different people in my family remember things. My dad sort of asked about the 52-mile race I did a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to tell me that he was there when I didn’t finish it, but I did finish it the one year he took me 3 years ago, so he turned the focus on how you don’t need to use alcohol to clean out wounds anymore. I cannot say I have ever brought up the topic before, but he has told me about how the science has changed and you need to wash the wound with warm water and soap, which is usually not something readily available during an ultra-race, but it is just bizarre that he keeps mentioning it. He asked me where it was, and I told him Potosi, but he didn’t believe me and suggested Desoto. Even though, I knew it was Potosi I didn’t say anything. Why bother?

His comments come like I have made a series of attacks or admonishments. It is just so weird. All he could remember about the neighbors was a series of stories about how they mistreated him. My uncle then told me about how he is working full time during retirement. The only person who asked me about my job or what was going on in my life was my mom on Sunday morning when I was there, but then she changed the topic to be about people she tried to help many years ago. 

I am not trying to be negative, but it is helpful to see where so many of the negative stories in my life have come from. It is odd realizing how some people can just assume the worst of everyone and then have nothing but negative things to say regardless of the topic. When I commented about all the people who were harmed by the tornado, he talked about a tornado that was close to him many years ago. When I made the point that it was sad that North City got hit where 70 percent of people don't have insurance, his comment was, “Why do trailer parks get hit?” It is such a bizarre thing to say, but more strange, knowing that he thinks he is making some kind of point. Why is it so hard for some people just to feel sorry for people who are struggling that aren’t them?

I am there for my grandmother, and I don’t want to be judgmental. Still, at the same time, it isn’t easy to be around people who can only seem to say negative things about everything, but it is nothing new, and I can get like that too, so it is good to understand how it can feel like to the other person.