Assessing My Chances

[thisnewday]

Got home just ahead of a line of thunder storms passing through. Emphasis on the thunder--not much to speak of in the way of rain, at least so far.

As I was driving out, my phone had rung but quit before I could answer it. Since I hadn't set up the car's Bluetooth to connect numbers with names, and because I don't text or otherwise mess with my phone while driving, I had to wait until I pulled into Target to find out that it was my grandson.

Concerned because he only calls when it's his idea of something urgent, these days, I called him back and got... nothing. Now starting to worry, I texted him and again got... nothing.

With nothing else to be done about it, I went into Target to do my shopping and found... nothing, that I was looking for. Getting a feel for the theme here? Life's infinite futility, maybe?

Back in the car, I tried his phone again and this time he answered. When asked why he'd called, he said that he'd needed allergy medicine but then had found some. Guess he'd been sneezing so hard that he couldn't answer his phone or send out a text.

Honestly, the kid is such a heartache these days and his mother doesn't help anything. And I haven't even written about our latest misadventures because, well, it just takes me too far down at a time when I'm still not well fixed to deal with it.

Anyway, the storm seems to have passed, the one outside, with just an occasional rumble in the distance. I'd put off my walk, due to the heat, until this evening, so I hope it clears off enough that I can go to the track and maybe dodge the lightning without getting soaked.

I've had an early, light dinner of lemon chicken cut up over a garden salad and so I'm set as far as that goes. Gonna let that digest a bit and then assess my chances at the track.

As far as, you know, going out for the walk and making it back...

LPK
Dreamwidth
7.2.2018

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

I am so sorry that your beloved grandson is causing you heartache.

As I think I've mentioned to you, my youngest son was my heartbreak kid. I don't think our personal relationship will ever recover completely from what I had to do to make sure he graduated from high school. Though it's better now than it has been for a long while.

You can only do what you can do.

[thisnewday]

Thanks. I've spent the past week thinking that my relationship with him and his mother mightn't recover from what they HAVEN'T done to see that he graduates from high school. And he isn't even there yet.

But having worked so hard to see that he had a decent shot at so many things--school, sports, the family life not provided by his mom and dad--it's painful to watch them piss it all away and then expect everyone else to go above and beyond for yet another year.

And you're absolutely right, no matter how much you care for someone, you can't do for them what they refuse to do for themselves. It's just awfully hard to resign yourself to that...

[mallorys_camera]

This couldn't possibly be the landlord daughter, right? What do your other family members say?

It sucks when irresponsible adults use their children as hostages to extort stuff from you.

Middle school is really the worst. "Cause kids in their early teens are absolutely amoral unless they have a very strong ethical infrastructure of some sort. I decided to be proactive and locked up anything of value I owned when Robin was in middle school because it struck me he would start trying to steal from me, and I didn't think I would deal well with that.

I trust him around my valuables now, though.

[thisnewday]

No, thank goodness, my landlord daughter is a responsible wife, mother and businesswoman. As well as a wonderfully supportive daughter.

She and her sisters have been aware of the situation for some time and have long recognized my efforts on behalf of the kid while their brother, his father, to put the nicest possible face on it, has not...

[mallorys_camera]

Ah. Right. You've mentioned your son before.

I am so sorry.