Nothing Lasts Forever

Forever. Ha! I laugh at the very thought someone would actually believe in such a thing. Hogwash! Doesn't anyone know that nothing lasts forever?

For those who use the word forever, as a testament of their love towards their significant other, please refrain from doing so. The expression is simply not possible. I'm not saying the love you share for each other will never last. Rather that it's subjected to change, like everything in this world, for better or worse. I know I'm rationalizing at the moment, and when you're "in love", that tends to go out the window. But I've learned from experience, to just keep that particular word out of phrases of intimacy. It can only cause you grief in the future. For instance, the love you had for your college sweetheart, will never be the same as when you were both in college, due to the fact of unexpected changes and experiences you endure along the way, however big or small, will always alter this love one way or another. Like all things in this world, even love, nothing remains constant. Thus your love cannot always be the same...


I like the motto: "Live Fast, Die Young". I consider myself a risk taker in my own right and tried to experience as much as life has to offer, whether it be good for my well being or not. I'm not promoting a self-destructive lifestyle. No, far from it. Though I did have my moments. More like I'm encouraging individuals to enjoy every waking moment of their life. Every breath that you take is one step closer to your very own death. So why not enjoy every single breath you take, doing something you love. I know it sounds so cliche, but it's true. When I was in high school, I always thought in the back of my mind, I wouldn't live to be 18 years old, and somehow leave this world in a tragic death (car accident, suicide, murder,etc). So I lived like a rebel, with nothing to lose, and encountered things at a young age most people wouldn't experience till their latter years. Here I am, 27 years old and marveling how far I've come from that dark period of my life. I have no regrets about it at all. It help make me the man I am today. Crazy as it sounds, I still do have this zealous desire to die saving a small child from a near death experience. Sort of like my "going out in a blaze of glory"/path to redemption, for all the fucked up shit I did when I was a kid, type scenario. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to be in the the business of performing righteous acts for the sake of being labeled a hero. No, that's not me. I'll leave that for our armed forces, police officers, firefighters, etc. But rather for the importance of protecting something still pure and innocent in exchange for my life, seems truly poetic. One can only hope, this is how I go out...

Speaking of death, I've always wondered about this so-called Heaven and if it maybe a little overrated than it truly is. If you're wondering why I'm even posting a topic about heaven, it's because I was raised Roman Catholic. Ugh. I know. Before I lost my faith in the religion and it's teachings, I often pondered about the after life. Mostly my questions consisted of: "If there's a dress code or are clothes optional?, Could you make your own heaven from scratch, instead of the traditional puffy white clouds backdrop?, Are you allowed to throw ragers once in a while?, etc." As much as these insignificant inquiries sounded, it always left me baffled and curious to know what lay a head. But as I grew older and began to notice my body slowly deteriorating, these questions turned in to deep and troubling thoughts of uncertainty. I started to reflect on my life and what I've accomplished thus far. Death has a funny way of putting your life in perspective. Life and death, go hand in hand. It finally dawned on me, though I've always done things my own way and never followed the majority, I didn't have much to show for it. But when you're lying on your death bed, looking back on the life you've lived, as long you're content with the outcome, does it really matter what others think? I believe so. There are times though, that my thoughts contradict themselves. Yeah, I traveled to distant places some folks would only dream of visiting and partied my health away like there's no tomorrow. But when I returned back home, I felt like something in my life was missing. That I was only planning my next vacation to eagerly escape this perpetual void in my life. My mom has always wanted to see my graduate college and find a career I loved. Yet I never finished college, so in turn I never had a legitimate career. In reality, I was just working to fund my travels. Which isn't a bad plan when you're young, but I'm not getting any younger. How long can I possibly keep this up? I need to get my priorities in order to achieve what I want out of life...

Let's get back to the matter at hand, shall we? To be honest, I rather "Laugh with the sinners, than to cry with the saints", so to speak. But if for some strange reason, there's some clerical mix-up with God's paperwork, and I end up in this magical concentration camp, I better have the same freedoms as people who are still living on earth do (Except for the prisoners at Guantanamo). For instance, let's say you die at the early age of 3 years old and you end up in heaven. Do you at least get a choice to what age you want to spend eternity as with a bunch of insecure, goody two- shoes, or is that not an option at all? If not, then deport my ass straight to hell as quickly as possible. Who wants to die as a baby and live in this invisible place in the sky, as one also? WTF?! Same goes for individuals who weren't fortunate enough to die before they reached 90 years old and had to experience adult diapers and the agony of seeing their loved ones die, before they did. I sure as hell don't want to end up as a senior citizen in heaven, either. If I could find a happy medium between the two, I'd like to die in my twenties...

I never tried to plan too far out ahead in my life and always took it day by day. I know some individuals would consider this type of behavior to be irresponsible, and maybe it is. But it's my life and I'm prepared to deal with the consequences. If I happen to die tomorrow, I'm happy how my life turned out and have no regrets. I lived it my way and by my own set of rules (That's the existentialist in me, coming out)...

"Life is what happens to you, when you're busy making other plans" -John Lennon

So stop planning out every detail of your life and live in the moment, for once. I know I will...

On a happier note, this made me laugh. Enjoy losers!!!



-Signing off from the trenches-

Father's Day Sonata

(Verse 1)
As a kid growing up
Always chose to be different
Wanted a better life than you provided
My path changed that instant
Went against everything you said
Nothing made any sense
Your words were just irrelevant
I had my mind set
So I...

(Chorus)
Wasted years off my life
Trying not to be like you
Pursuing the impossible
Making my dreams come true
Till one day I realized
The one thing I already knew
All roads lead somewhere
Mine leads back to you

(Verse 2)
Bitter throughout the years
Estranged to say the least
Kept chasing what I was after
You shook your head in disbelief
Resentment built up
Turned to the bottle for relief
Pipe dream is what you called it
I saw it as my destiny
To make something of myself
The man you couldn't bare to see
So I...

(Chorus)

(Verse 3)
As I grew older
The more I understood your point of view
Can't say I agree on how you handled it
But who the hell, would've knew
That it gave me the drive to succeed
Transform my dreams, to reality
So I...

Guess you can say, I owe it all to you.

Untitled
-C.a.M.-

Copyright: all material and content within this post is property of Chris Mendoza, and in no way shape or form may be copied, or reproduced. Permission is required to use any material within this post. © Chris Mendoza 2009 All Rights Reserved.

Nomadic Tendencies

I mentioned in a previous post, about how I would like to one day just pack up my things and move on a whim. Nowhere in particular. Just pick a direction to head towards and continue driving until I find a location, I want to explore for a while. Which I find weird because I don't really like to drive. Maybe it's the excitement and possible opportunity to start over in a new place , that propels me to overlook my constant hatred for driving a motor vehicle. Oh well, I'll just have to find out first hand. After I've exhausted all there is to experience at this juncture of my life, I pack up my things and repeat to a new destination. This lifestyle is known by many names such as a: vagrant, rogue, drifter, hobo, etc. I personally prefer the term vagabond/nomad. Sometimes I do wish I was a little more of the outdoors(y) type, so I could just go on a permanent nature retreat into the wild. That's something I've always wanted to do since I was a kid. But the chances of me surviving in the wilderness for a long period of time, with my current skills, are extremely slim. I do pride myself on literally being able to live just out of a duffel bag. I've always considered myself a simple man, with simple needs. During the way, I wouldn't even mind working odd jobs to fund this self-exploration project. I truly believe the life of a nomad suits me well. Always constantly on the move, traveling from one town to another. Maybe helping a few people along the way, while kicking a little bad guy ass, wouldn't hurt either. Sound a little familiar? Life's too short to spend the rest of your remaining years, trapped behind a tiny cubicle without a view of the outside world and what it has to offer. In my eyes, life is all about experiences. I sure as hell want to experience as much of this world as I can, good or bad. I'll take it as I get it. But to wake up every single morning, just to leave your loved ones, only to join the rat race for measly pay check. Nah! No, thanks. Not for me. I rather take the low road and keep my dignity. I like this quote from F.D.R. : "We, and all others who believe in freedom as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet than live on our knees." So the rat race continues...

I do enjoy the extravagant pleasures; life has to offer, from time to time. But eventually that life gets old. That's why it doesn't amaze me when I read about millionaires/billionaires spending their vast amounts of money on non-essential items and lavish parties, instead of actually trying to make a difference in this world. The ability to have just about anything your heart desires at your beckon call, eventually starts to become dull. Who would've knew, right? Unfortunately for the majority of our society, which are the 'have-nots', we keep striving until we reach this pinnacle, where we can finally be upgraded into that 35% tax bracket, like it's something to be proud of. At times, I think the only reason the rich donate to charities is because they can write it off on their taxes. Imagine if they couldn't, would they really be willing to pull out their check books to write hefty amounts, to complete strangers? The only advantage I'd really savor from being wealthy, is the financial independence that comes along with it. The complete freedom and piece of mind that equate with not having to worry about paying bills, taxes or just wondering where your next pay check is coming from. In my opinion, that's priceless. Fuck becoming rich just to own material shit, though that's a plus, but I'm in it for the financial freedom. Say it with me now. Financial Freedom. Damn, just the thought brings a smile to my face. As of yet, it's the only reason why I haven't chosen the drifter lifestyle...

I also wish life had signs like the picture above. Just clean cut and dry. No unexpected surprises. Don't get me wrong. Surprises are what keep life interesting and you just have to learn how to roll with the punches. But sometimes, I'd just like to have a sign that let's me know I'm headed in the right direction. Whether it be a visual indication or just some random stranger telling you: "You're on the right track." But I guess, if life were so simple, it really wouldn't be worth living and just become stagnant.

Somehow I believe, hitting the road on my own (Scout included), will help steer me in the direction where I feel my mind is finally at ease.

"I like songs about drifters - books about the same.
They both seem to make me feel a little less insane.
Walk on off to another spot.
I still haven't gotten anywhere that I want.
Did I want love? Did I need to know?
Why does it always feel like I'm caught in an undertow?"

-The World At Large by: Modest Mouse-

This song is always playing in the back of my mind, when I think about packing up and leaving to a new place. Only time will tell on how long I can fight these tendencies...

-Signing off from the trenches-

For The Love Of God!

If there is any God/invisible supreme being in that vast space we call the sky, please make this shit happen. I would sell my first unborn child to witness this live event. I'm still upset about the fact I've never had that chance to see my two favorite rappers (Nas and Jay-Z), both on the same stage, performing side by side. That experience would easily be one of the best moments of my life. If I still lived in New York, then it wouldn't be a problem. Hot 97 holds Summer Jam every June. Unfortunately, I live in Orlando, where there's no hip-hop festivals like Summer Jam or Rock The Bells in California. If this show were to happen, it would literally go down in hip-hop history, as one of the greatest mc battles of all time. Mos Def already picked out his team (supposing all the rappers he named agreed to join his team) and since he generously bestowed Kanye West to Jay's team, if Jay so chooses to pick him up, I'd like to see Jay opt these rappers as his other teammates as well: Eminem, Common, Talib Kweli and Lil' Wayne. You're probably wondering why I chose the latter mc, it's only because Mos Def mentioned in a previous interview, that he could beat him in a battle as well. So the ballot would look something like this:

Battle Royale
Mos Def x Black Thought x Doom x Jay Electronica x Nas
Vs.
Jay-Z x Kanye West x Eminem x Common x Talib Kweli x Lil' Wayne

I consider myself a "Hip-Hop Head" and would pay major coin to be present, when all this goes down. Plus all the proceeds go to charity, so it's a win, win situation for everyone. To see all these amazing artists sharing the same stage, battling it out, would be like watching The Beatles in concert, during the 60's. Once in a lifetime and straight bananas! I've been fortunate enough to see The Roots and Jay-Z in concert, twice (not together of course), when they toured through Orlando a few years back. If you ever get the opportunity to watch either of them in concert, I suggest you do. You won't be sorry and it's worth every penny. I know you're probably wondering which team I'm rooting for, since both of my favorite rappers could possibly be on opposing teams. But I'm not even going to debate on that yet till this battle becomes official. Even though the chances are slim that this could ever happen in the near future, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed. Amen to that!

Not So Fresh...

Here a few things this week, I am not too ecstatic about:

1. This unbearable hot and humid weather were having in June. It literally feels like I'm baking in a damn oven. If there wasn't any humidity, then it wouldn't feel like my skin was melting. It also doesn't help that the a/c in my car isn't that great either. My hats off to construction workers or any person who performs manual labor outside, during the summer. I just couldn't do it. I rather be working in an air conditioned office, behind a stupid desk, than to sweat my ass off all day in the Florida heat. It makes me just want to bask around indoors all day, until the sun sets and I can finally step outside to show my face. What a waste of a summer, right? Not to mention the dangers of contracting skin cancer if you stay outside too long. When I lived up north, I always loved to play outside, whether it be playing sports, riding my bike/skating, or just playing in the woods. Since I've moved down to Orlando, I stay indoors most of the day unless I have to absolutely leave the comfort of central air conditioning, to deal with the sweltering sun. Sometimes, I wonder why my ass still resides here. I can't bare the humidity, yet I still choose not to move back up north, where it's much cooler. I rather deal with blizzards and blistering cold weather, than to bake in this god forsaken state. I guess it's because the cost of living up north is so expensive compared to down south. I'm not saying I loathe Florida, but it's definitely not for me. Especially during the summer season. I've always considered it a great place to vacation and visit from time to time, but not to actually live in. I'm more of a big city type who perfers cooler weather than Florida has to offer, which explains why I enjoy traveling to other big cities during the winter time, ie. Toronto or Chicago. I hope to move back up north in the future, and by up north, I mean northeast. One of these days I'm just gonna pack up all my shit and just leave this hell mouth, without notice. I enjoy spontaneity. Did I mention I've always wanted to live like a gypsy/nomad? No? Well, I do. I'm a pack rat when it comes to storage boxes, just in case I feel like moving on a whim. My room is littered with all sorts of empty boxes, ready to be packed with non-essential items. To be honest, I can really just live out of my duffel bag and do without all the material bullshit. As much as I'd like to talk about dreams of becoming a vagabond, let's not get off tangent. One things for sure, I'm really dreading how hot it's going to be in July & August...
   
2. Having to pay full price ($399-$499) for the iPhone 3G S, due to the fact I can't extend my existing contract with At&t Wireless, until it actually expires. Stupid money hungry corporate tyrants! My friend David made the smart move by paying full price for the 3G iPhone without signing a contract, when it dropped last year and is still eligible for an equipment upgrade. Which means he can buy the new phone as advertised and not have to cough up full price, like me.
   
3. Yankees getting swept by the Redsox this week, for a second time this season. Now they're 8-0 against the Yanks. WTF?! This hasn't happened since 1912 and this season has just begun. They were playing so well on the road before they stepped into Fenway. Now I gotta hear it from annoying Redsox fans till July, which is when they'll meet again and have a chance to redeem themselves. If you've been following this so-called blog of mine for a while, you'll know by the very first post I wrote, how much I enjoy this heated rivalry. I guess it could be worse. At least they're only 2 games out of 1st place in the AL East...
4. Last but not least, the Magic. What can I say that hasn't been said by anyone who witnessed last night's deplorable disaster. They blow a 12 point lead after half and end up losing to the Lakers in overtime. 12 fucking points! They haven't lead by that much during a game against the Lakers the entire series, but still figure a way to screw it all up. Talk about heart breaking. I wouldn't call myself a die hard Orlando Magic fan, but one things for sure, I don't want Kobe winning another Championship. If the Magic didn't happen to make the Finals, I'd be cheering for Lebron and the Cavaliers. Call me a "Kobe Hater" all you want, I won't deny it. Don't get me wrong, he's one of the best to ever play the game, but there's something about his character that screams "I'm a cocky douche bag!!!". Which is kind of sad, since I never met the guy, yet I'm already judging his character. Anyway, enough talking about that rat looking ass hole. Here are a few of my observations/opinions on what led to the Magic's Game 4 demise:

• Not making their free throws. WTF?! There free?! Maybe not free if it was a hard foul, but nether the less, there free. Sometimes I'd like to ask this question, when a superstar misses their free throws: "Did you want to get fouled without any repercussions?" Come on! You get the opposing player/team in foul trouble and have a chance to score more points for your team. It's a win, win! The game could've been easily won, if this feat was accomplished. I'm not saying any names. Ahem, Dwight Howard! I know there's a lot of pressure to make them, especially if you're not playing on your home court, but you get paid millions of dollars to put the ball in the hoop. So you could at least make in your "free" shots. I'm just sayin'...
• This is my favorite. Choosing to play Jameer Nelson during the last minutes of the 4th quarter. That's a dead give away. Stan Van Gundy should've known better than that, if not he should have his fucking head examined. For Christ sakes, the guy hasn't played a full game since February! He also hasn't been shooting that well since he came back. I wonder what the hell was going through Van Gundy's mind when he came across this idiotic tactic. Nelson didn't even defend Derek Fisher during the Lakers last possesion in regulation. He just carelessly watched as Fisher made a 3 pointer to tie the game, like any other spectator in the stands. The smarter move would've been to play Rafer Alston, who was playing much better and has been playing great defense during the Finals. Now it's "Do or Die" in L.A. Good job team!
  

Anyway, the weekend is here and I'm not letting these minor concerns, destroy my mood. Neither one is life threatening and can always work out later down the road. Listen to me, being all optimistic. That's a first. Guess, I'm just trying to walk on the sunny side of the street now a days. Plus I'm still hoping to visit my friends Mike & Nicole in Chicago next month. My good friend Mike is flying from Vegas, to spend his birthday in his hometown. I haven't been back up there since NYE '07, which were good times. Also, I can finally visit family, which I didn't get to do last time I was there. I'm really hoping to party it up with friends and my cousins for a couple of days. I can't wait! Oh, how I love Summertime Chi. Till next time folks...

-Signing off from the trenches-

Addicted to Love

Have you ever had one of those relationships that start off like some cheesy romantic novel or something straight out of a chick flick? The type you hope that each precious second, you'll always be together? The kind of love affair that you both cuddle in bed all day, never wanting to leave each others side, only just to use the bathroom. You constantly find yourself thinking about them while your at work, hanging out with your friends, eating, or just driving back home. Sometimes you feel as if, you were to both separate, your life would cease to exist as you know it. Then you start to slowly distance yourself from everyone you know, like a hermit or that crazy cat lady, you once felt sorry for. Your friends consistently give you shit for blowing them off and not returning their calls...

As the years go by, things starts to become stagnant and you can't help but feel this relationship has lost it's "spark". The days becomes repetitive and uneventful. You find yourself stuck in this every day routine, where you feel like your best days have come and gone. That there's nothing more, life can possibly offer you. Then you begin to realize that you've both grown apart and aren't the same two people you once were, when you first met. You try numerous attempts to sit down and have "the talk", but can't seem to get the words out of your mouth. At times, you have doubts that what you're about to do is huge mistake. You've made countless efforts to be the strong individual and break it off, but yield the result of making up the very next week. Suddenly you become "that person" in an "on and off again" relationship, you once lectured your best friend about. But the longer you stay in this relationship, the more you feel like you're losing your dignity. Till one day, you finally grow the balls to break their heart. Yeah, "She really had a hold on me...", but it was for the best. I see her from time to time, at some random party, always cuddled up with another guy every time we meet. We occasionally hang out and catch up on what's going on in each others life, but understand we're both better off as friends...

Ah, yes. I remember the first time I met "Mary Jane" and how she had my mind in a daze, the moment we locked lips. I felt like I was floating on cloud 9 and never wanted to come back down. When I hear that Rick James record, I can't help but smile and think back to the amazing moments we shared. Whether it be a day packed with copious amount of hours watching Planet Earth dvds on the couch, or eating piles of junk food and pizza like ravenous zombies, while downing a frozen cherry slurpee. Oh, to be young again and not care about how many brain cells you destroy...

Ugh.

Well, we've all heard the saying: "She's got daddy issues". Fact is, I'm not a she and I've learned to deal with my own "daddy issues" with my father. Not to say that I haven't had any issues with my mother, but I've always had this deep resentment for my father. As far as I can remember, my father has always been a prick, who constantly complained about his life, yet did nothing to change his current situation. I swear the man breathed only to complain, even more than my mother. He'll complain about money, work, and the house not being cleaned. Whatever he didn't find suitable, he'd always find a way to complain about it. As I think of it, I don't think I've ever heard him say anything optimistic in my life. I think my father always thought the world was out to punish him. In turn, he'd take his frustrations out on the family. I'm not trying to paint my father as a horrible monster, that beat his wife and children. No, he's far from that. But at times his verbal tirade wore everyone down. If he was a chick, his name would be Debbie Downer. As the eldest son, he's always given me shit for not being a good example for my younger brothers. Did I mention, I've always considered myself the black sheep of the family? No? Well, I am. In my parent's eyes, I was their "problem child" that was always getting into trouble in school or sometimes with the law. Yes, I've had my occasional run-ins with Johnny Law, usually being out late past curfew or cutting class, but never anything to be considered a certified, juvenile delinquent. I've just always had a problem with authority, being told what I can and cannot do. What can I say? I've always been a rebel since I was a kid. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't the kid who constantly got into fights to prove I was a bad ass or consistently served after school detention for something stupid. No, that wasn't me. I was the kid who stayed out later than he was suppose to, or who snuck out late at night and took the car for a joy ride when I didn't have a license. That was me. When I was younger, I was the quietest out of 4 children. I was often reticent and well behaved. I still am at times. But as I got older, compared to my angelic siblings, I was considered "Satan's Little Helper." Neither my older sister nor younger brothers, rarely got into any type of trouble. Guess, when I reached puberty, my rebellion went into maximum overdrive. It also didn't put my parents at ease, that I've always hung out with an older crowd. So you can imagine, what might be going through their minds during that point of my teenage years.

This particular story takes place not too long before, what I considered myself hitting rock bottom. I was 17 year old senior in high school, who was barely passing any of his classes. Not to mention, a dear friend of mine who just recently passed away. I took my friend's death to heart and started to lose faith in humanity, let alone myself. I had my own personal demons I was trying to conquer and thoughts of suicide I tried to erase from my mind. I was taking any type of drug that would help me evade dealing with reality. I was seriously depressed and turned into a self-destructive alcoholic. Remember that scene from "Leaving Las Vegas" , where Nicholas Cage is drinking a bottle of vodka while he's taking a shower? That was me. I was hanging out late during school weeks, and sometimes never made it home till the next day. I was losing focus in school. No, actually more like shifting that focus on making money, which I felt was more important at the time. Being that my parents never really had much money to buy my siblings and I, anything that wasn't essential for survival or our education. Luckily, we had aunts and uncles who understood my families situation, and tried to spoil us every chance they could get. Anyway, hanging out with an older crowd, you tend to get envious when your friends can afford to buy nice things with money they've made for themselves. Ever since I was 16 years old and without any transportation to work, I found myself entrenched in the dealings of the underworld. The "fast life" combined with the one I was currently living my senior year, wasn't helping at all. Damn it, now I've gone off tangent. Maybe I'll post that story another day... In short of what I was feeling, I would've be considered clinically depressed and worse, a lost soul with no where to go. All of these variables bunched together during the heart of that transition, when you evolve from an teenager to an adult, really took it's toll on my mind and body.

Anyway, back to what I was getting at. Everyone in their lifetime, one time or another, has had someone that didn't believe in them for whatever reason(s) and it was your sole mission in life, to prove him/she wrong. I've experienced this life changing situation during this period of my life. Great timing, right? Life really loves to play it's silly games when you least expect it. Anyway, It was the day my father and I got into it because I was failing high school and the possibility of not graduating on time. During the shouting match, he told me that: "You're gonna grow up to be nothing but a bum, like your friends..." That wasn't the exact statement, but something to that extent. Ouch, right? Being the man that my father is, you'd think I'd be immune to anything that comes out his mouth. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case. Hearing those words come out of someone who was suppose to love you and stand behind you no matter what you do, altered my life from then on out. It was really the last thing I wanted to hear during this trivial point in my life. I really could've used some words of encouragement, but was dealt the opposite. I can honestly say it really fucked me up, coming from my own father and what I was going through at that time. Even to this day, I'm afraid to have children in fear I may lose my temper and say something that could be so detrimental to their future. They say: "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I call bullshit! They say: "For me to value your opinion, I must first respect you." Well I lost a lot of respect for my father that day. It's just one of those things, if they had a parenting hand book, that you should never say to your kids. Too bad parenting nor life, comes with instructions. I've learned from the whole situation and it's helped make me the man I am today. I rarely drink anymore and laid off the drugs...

Needless to say, I busted my ass in night school to prove my father wrong and graduate with the rest of my high school class. But my relationship with my father, never really recovered after that argument. I understand now, where he was coming from and what he was trying to do, which was push me to succeed. I just believe the situation could've been handled with a lot more compassion. After I graduated, I moved out and pretty much cut all my ties with my parents. At one point, I didn't speak to them for 6 months, and I only lived 15 minutes away. I don't even know why I decided to write this post, maybe because Father's Day is approaching and it's a day I really don't look forward to. It's been an on going process to salvage whatever relationship I have left with my mother and father. I've always told others that my parents are good people, just not good parents. I've learned to accept my mother for who she is and her stubborn ways. If you ever call me stubborn, that's who I get it from. As for my father, we've become estranged as far as father and sons go. I see him more as a friend than a father figure and I'm okay with that...