I was home the past few days – in the Midwest. My parents are getting worse. My mom had such a hard time getting into and out of the car. She’s in her 50s, which is not that old. My dad has been eating worse, which is bad for his diabetes. I think he’s sick of eating the health food and just wants to live again.
I also talked to my sister on the phone. Her back is getting worse. She spent 2 months on disability and the doctors say she needs surgery.
My dad’s monthly income is less than the rent. My mom doesn’t work. The Midwest is dying. Anyone who had a chance already left. What’s left is a pocket of poverty, crime, and substance abuse. I don’t my parents living in this. I walked around town the other day – I was the only one outside, of course, no one walks anymore in the Midwest – and people gave me strange looks from their cars. Maybe because I’m the only one walking, maybe because I’m not white. For whatever reason, I felt uncomfortable. I can’t come back and live/work in the Midwest. I felt insecure when I grew up there. Why would I go back? I feel like I fit in more in NYC.
I want to get my parents out, buy a big house in a city that’s progressive, liberal, and open-minded. That’s my ultimate dream.
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