When I was young, pubescent years.. not sure of the exact age, my parents did the coolest thing ever. They told us (my brother and I) that each of us could pick a destination and we would go there for vacation.. within reason and within the United States. My brother wanted to stay on a dude ranch, I wanted to see the Grand Canyon, Mom wanted to see Vegas and Dad the Hoover Damn. So we drove to Arizona and spent about a week on a ranch. We rode horses all day, ate the most incredible homemade southern food, slept in a covered wagon under the stars... it was amazing. When we left there we went to the Canyon and rode Mules to the bottom, slept in a camp next to the Colorado river, had a very rustic breakfast the next morning then rode back up. I'll never forget how blue/green the river was on the way down ..and how brown from a storm the following day. Or the nasty rattlesnake that looked me in the face when I invaded his shade tree! *chills* Between destinations we stopped in Sedona, an abandoned ghost town, and other attractions along the way. We saw the Hoover Damn. Took a guided tour through it and saw how it all operates. Aaaand we went to Vegas..
Vegas, for me, was a life changing experience. I loved the lights and old Las Vegas and Circus something (the casino with an arcade upstairs for kids), the tigers!! But I was at a very impressionable age and had no idea what that city.. um.. 'offered'. I was shocked and disgusted by all the porno cards plastered around the city. These girls in those vulgar (and embarrassing) poses covering bus stops and side streets. People pushing them into your hands as you're walking by. KIDS! Shoving them in MY hands as I walk by..... I'm seeing all of this for the very first time ....with my Father to my left and my brother to my right. And it changed me. It made me a better person inside. Fighting back tears just walking down the street because my mother and father were so excited to be there. Leaving the hotel room! All I wanted to do was stay in that room.. But I would be brave for them. And I never would have experienced 0 gravity if I would have stayed in! :) So I'm glad I did. I also realized at that time that I would never, could never, be one of those girls. I made a vow that I would never allow myself to fall into a position where that would even be considerable.. But I also lost a lot of pride. I felt like everyone could see through my clothes now. Now knowing there is little use for an imagination... I mean, once you've seen every single inch of every single body type it's pretty easy to figure out what MY blouse is hiding... ya know? I lost a lot of respect for my body then too. Because I also realized... I didn't look like most of them. The pretty ones anyway.... And I don't blame anyone for this. I don't need help with it. There's no one to blame and I get it. I was naive, my parents unaware of its extent.... I'm only bringing this up for one reason:
We spent 10 days in PA.. Which was great but when we left, I was definitely ready to go. There's only so much time you (I) can spend away from your (my) bed. The reason we went there was for my girlfriend's 30th birthday. Only comes once, right.. We met her and about 12-14 other people for dinner before going to the bar where her older brother's band was playing. Dinner was great.. in fact the whole night was great, short of the few things I'm about to bitch about. Funny how that works. No one talks about the good things... I catch myself falling into that lately. And it bites. But anyway, she tells us between the two that she has a stack of cards from Vegas to hand out as party favors.. Lovely *sigh* But it's her night so whatever. Little did I know that stack meant about 5-6 decks of cards! She handed them out to everyone! People she knew and those she didn't. They ended up all over the room. Like my worst memory ever just puked all over the room.
I had asked her when she brought them up not to give any to Chad (who spent most the entire night out in the truck on the phone.. 4 times, no less than an hour each) but she handed him 3 while he stood beside me. Even held one up and made reference to his fantasies. It was an image of a girl squatting over another girls face. Nothing left to the imagination.. To say I was uncomfortable would be an understatement. But... her night. Whatever. I'm a big girl now.
We end up outside to get some air. (The crowd was overwhelming and there was a break in JK's set) Chad walks up and she asks him for a kiss, puckering her lips. When he declined she says, "well kiss on this.." lifted her skirt, bending past her knees and shook her ass in my husband's face! In a g-string! And I........ I still have no words for what went through my mind or body...
Everyone has a code. A morality code. A line they would never cross. And in my eyes, the key to a working relationship between any two people is understanding where their line is, and never crossing it. She crossed my line. Spit right in it's face while I stood there watching. And I Stood. There. And what's worse... I can't honestly say I hold it against her! I saw her twice more before we left and everything was as perfect as it usually is with her. I love her. I GET her! I know exactly why she did it, though she may have no idea that I do. But that doesn't mean I'm not completely devastated that she did.
My parents went snowboarding (skiing) with us while we were there. My Uncle (mom's bro), Aunt and cousins live near a ski resort and 3 of the 4 work there. (The other will when he's old enough, I'm sure of it) It was fantastic. Exactly what I needed. I forgot about everything else in my life for those few days and just smiled from the heart and enjoyed the company.. I wish I had opertunities to do things like that more often.
The rents went at it full force. With the right attitude. And even though they both wiped out a few times, they enjoyed themselves and even want to do it again next year. Which just blew me away! To me they're not old. I guess because they're my parents.. or maybe because I know I'm right behind them and don't want to admit that I'M old! But I do realize that most people their age are not LEARNING how to ski! Most people their age who have been skiers are giving it up.. So I'm just so proud, again, to call them mine.
I ran into a lot of people, while I was home this time, who I haven't seen in quite awhile. It was nice to see a lot of them. Some are exactly what I expected, others.. not so much. Mostly in a good way though. I saw a guy at the bar (birthday party) who I used to think was the biggest, chauvinist, tool in high school. He approached me with manors. Asked how the family was. We talked music and memories then he gave me my space. Before leaving he approached me again to say it was nice to see me. Kissed my hand, being respectable to Chad, told me I was more lovely than he ever could have imagined, and wished me well.... I was shocked! There IS hope for men in this town! After a guy I look at like my baby brother nearly motor boated me in greeting, then that creep purposely brushed against me each and every time I walked by.. I was a little worried the men of my generation, stuck in my hometown anyway, had really gone to shit.
Night
xx
