87. Payback For The Long Haul
Ugh, I’m a bit embarrassed to share this, because it still bugs me a lot more than it should 20 years later: I don’t come from a close family, which is a nice way of saying we sincerely hate each other. One year, when I was about 11 or 12, I decided I didn’t want to participate in my mom’s weird compulsion to gather everyone she hates into a room every Christmas. I stayed in my room, didn’t appear at the strained dinner, didn’t sit around for the strained conversation, etc.
I haven’t received a gift, Christmas, birthday, graduation, or otherwise from anyone in my family since. Worse yet, I didn’t catch on right away, so for about 2 years after I’d go to Christmas and have to watch my brother and cousins open up their gifts.
