The Blowing Off of Steam
I don't adjust well to change. Yesterday my dad asked me if I liked living in Atlanta as much as I liked living in California. My response was to reassure him by saying that I don't adjust well to change, and then proceed to say no, so far I don't. It's strange, Brandon's adjusted to the change quite well and he's the one who has never lived outside of California. I think it's a guy thing.
I didn't think I'd react this way. I thought it would be comforting to be back with people I understood, who knew that anything wrong in life can be solved by something fried or loaded with sugar. But everything is so different. In southern Orange County we lived in a newer community. Our apartment was less than five years old. Traffic lights had sensors, malls hadn't had a chance to fall from favor due to newer malls being built nearby, landscaping was generally impeccable.
But now I see at least four crazy people a day walking down the street on my commute to and from work, prompting me to poise my finger over my car's lock button, hoping for a discreet way to press it without the crazy person noticing that yes, they appear crazy and I don't want them in my car with me. And the traffic is horrendous, mainly because of the way the roads and stoplights are designed stupid beyond all comprehension. I sat at a redlight for fifteen minutes this morning - one redlight - watching as it turned green time and again while traffic backed up from a redlight maybe 20 feet ahead preventing any progress. I spent that time trying to push those angry feelings back down into my stomach so that I wouldn't give in to the urge to honk and scream
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CITY?!
Because at times, I'd really like to know.
I didn't think I'd react this way. I thought it would be comforting to be back with people I understood, who knew that anything wrong in life can be solved by something fried or loaded with sugar. But everything is so different. In southern Orange County we lived in a newer community. Our apartment was less than five years old. Traffic lights had sensors, malls hadn't had a chance to fall from favor due to newer malls being built nearby, landscaping was generally impeccable.
But now I see at least four crazy people a day walking down the street on my commute to and from work, prompting me to poise my finger over my car's lock button, hoping for a discreet way to press it without the crazy person noticing that yes, they appear crazy and I don't want them in my car with me. And the traffic is horrendous, mainly because of the way the roads and stoplights are designed stupid beyond all comprehension. I sat at a redlight for fifteen minutes this morning - one redlight - watching as it turned green time and again while traffic backed up from a redlight maybe 20 feet ahead preventing any progress. I spent that time trying to push those angry feelings back down into my stomach so that I wouldn't give in to the urge to honk and scream
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CITY?!
Because at times, I'd really like to know.
