…And Then There Was Me

I was sick to death of it all: the recycling; the turning off of the water while we brushed our teeth to conserve; the walking instead of driving for added fitness and conservation; the healthy meals; the “weird” brown whole wheat bread she baked that I would trade at school for something “normal,” like Wonder Bread; the activist marches she regularly attended with me in tow. She was politically liberal— diametrically opposed to my conservative father—which made for some lively dinner conversations. Shyness had no place at our table. We liked to talk about things, air out our feelings and not hold back: but always with respect. Let’s just say I was raised to be politically, environmentally and socially aware. It was a rich and volatile tapestry.