old rush

"you've gotta be careful around those guys from italy and france," my grandpa told me as we wandered the looping hallways in the rehab clinic where my great-grandma is recovering. "and the argentinians," he added. we were talking about my going to idaho to work next summer in the little ski town where my great-aunt lives. apparently, the area is popular with all kinds of young people from all over the world. "but, you know," he said, "you'll be competing with all those girls from europe, from sweden, from denmark." thank you, grandpa, for having such faith in me. personally, i'm not interested in competing with swiss beauty queens for italian princes - i just want a crack at the $400 a day paychecks i've heard whisperings about. ever since i decided to become (as) financially independent (as i can) from my parents, any source of income is very intriguing to me. and of course the italian princes are a nice bonus.

my mom has started getting deep and insightful words of wisdom from the "charmed" re-runs she watches on tv. last night, when all the family was gathered in our living room celebrating my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary, the conversation fell to my great-grandmother, who recently broke her pelvis and is recuperating at a clinic in the valley. we were talking about mortality and getting older and how horrible it must be to find yourself mentally capable (as my great-grandmother is) and yet still be unable to stop your body from getting terribly old. my great-grandma is required to spend the next few weeks in the clinic, rooming with two other elderly women who are much, much more ill than she is. "how terrible is that?" someone asked. "it's awful to try to recover around so many people who are dying."

to which my mother responded: "you know, on 'charmed' they said that only death gives meaning to life."

and that is true, i guess, but what i'll really remember from that conversation is my aunt's reaction to what my mom said. "charmed?!? you mean that show about the idiot twit sisters who are witches?" she was incredulous.

my mom smiled and said, "oh, so you've seen it?"

apparently, sensitivity does not run in the family.