User blog:Forestpaw13/Finding Joy this Christmas Season (or not)

So this weekend my family (finally) set up our Christmas tree, about two weekends later than we usually do. This tree is fake and we've had it for twenty years this year. Each year we put the pieces together with care and joy, and when my brother and I were younger we would fight over who got to put the top on. Each year my brother and I go out alone and each purchase an inexpensive Christmas ornament for our lovely little tree so when we get older and move out we'll at least have Christmas decor.

This year I can already tell will be a little bit different.

I was recently in a car accident, so my family now must pay more insurance. We just bought a new car last week. Now they are telling me that I must pay the insurance deductible ($250). I'm fine with that, an accident is an accident, but the issue lies within their reasoning. "We've always, always told you that you owe us money for an accident, sweetie, if it was your fault or not." Not true! I have never heard this before in my life. My brother doesn't remember it, either.

In order to get me to pay said deductible, my parents have taken away my car privileges until I pay it. Their logic is that I will be so plagued by the lack of cars that I will eventually go to the bank and get the money out. How can I go to the bank without a car if they refuse to drive me? They tell me that it is my responsibility to get the money myself and tell me to walk. The bank is a three-hour bike ride away and there's none closer. I'm sorry, I don't enjoy six-hour errands, so we have to renegotiate here.

The problem is that both me and my parents collectively are so darn stubborn that it's impossible to get anywhere in reasonable amounts of time. We have been disagreeing about this issue for a little bit now, and the tension in our home is rising to a bit beyond the roof. My little, innocent brother is beginning to figure out that there is an issue beyond his own. It is a rather crazy time.

So while all of us fight it out, my parents made the mutual decision to take this issue to a family therapist, who will help resolve this issue and help us learn better communication skills. Dr. What's-His-Face gave my parents two envelopes with questions for my brother and I to answer, which look a little bit like so:

''Please answer the following questions! :D There are never, ever any wrong answers! Do the best you can and, hey, have a cookie while you're at it! You're awesome! :D Remember, S means Sometimes, N means Never, and A means Always! You are so smart! You can do this! Sometimes I want to do bad things. N S A I enjoy doing my homework. N S A I have strong beliefs about controversial topics, such as abortion. N S A I think I am a homosexual. N S A''

Please don't make me go on. Those are basically what they looked like, and handing two envelopes filled with that to your two teenage children generally doesn't provide a good outcome.

So now my parents refuse to drive me to school, and as my neighborhood doesn't get a bus anymore, it's pretty hard to get to school. That involves a hike up a semi-large slope with a twenty-five-pound bag on your back. Plus your destination has a great view of a chalk board.

So subsequently I have lost everything. During the Christmas season this a very tough thing to gather. I have no access to money, education, or others outside of my household, the newspaper boy, and the mailman. I have begun a slow spiral towards insanity and I'm wondering if it can get any worse.

It probably will.

~ F  o  r  e  s  tp  a  w 13 The  ants   are   marching   two   by   two  Hurrah, hurrah We were born and raised in a summer haze, bound by the surprise of our glory days ♥  Fork Just a lonely utensil 18:54, December 11, 2012 (UTC)