British airways SUCKKKKKKKKKKSSSSSSS

OH MY GOD. Oh my god. I'm, wow. I just received an e-mail informing me that I have TWO options. The first option is that I can receive the amount of TAX I paid on the ticket. The second option is that I can have a credit for the amount of the ticket to be spent on the ORIGINAL DATE OF ISSUANCE (which was back in, like, March). I plan on calling either tomorrow morning (if their office is open) or Monday and DEMANDING to speak to a supervisor. WTF. The flight was FUCKING cancelled.

Anyway. I wanted to write something else tonight. About parents.

Yesterday, I was at Group Health waiting to pick up a prescription and a father and daughter pair walked into the waiting area. The daughter became immediately annoyed with the father for telling her that rather than straining her neck by turning around to read the most recently called number, she could just look straight ahead of her at another light-up sign. She snapped at him, saying, "Maybe I want to turn around. Maybe it's easier for me." She kept snapping at him for various reasons and then said, "Well, I feel like standing up." She stood up and walked to the other side of the waiting area. After several minutes, the father got up and found a chair that was closer to where she was standing.

Why do we get so easily annoyed? Why do we get so easily frustrated? Why are we so impatient? Why is it so hard for us to understand that our parents have thoughts of their own and lives of their own and wants and desires and feelings? Why do WE need understanding so bad? And why do they have to sacrifice their understanding for ours? It's really not fair. And it's only fair, it's only fair, that we let them live their lives too ... at least once we're secure with our own lives. And treat them with respect. And understand that they have needs of their own. And problems of their own. And passions that have nothing to do with us. That don't revolve around us. How can we deny that? Or make them feel guilty for being, for once in thirty-some-odd years, selfish.

I know that not all parent-children relations are like what I've suggested here. Clearly, what I'm going on about has everything to do with my own experience. The pair I observed at Group Health--who knows what their story was. My story? I had a conversation with my dad earlier today about what he wants his future to hold that broke my heart--but only because I never had any clue. No clue at all. And ... I know he doesn't need me or probably even want me to think so ... but I think it's pretty amazing.