There's this strange air about DA, and it's not just the smog that permeates the city regularly. It's the kind of thing that, the second I step past the large, grey metal gates just seems to hang over the campus like a looming raincloud. I can't quite put a finger on it, but I can say that I don't like it at all. It's this kind of everyone's-the-same-and-its-only-a-matter-of-time type of feeling that chokes and suffocates every seemingly entertaining experience I have at the place. I won't even try to describe how the same everybody seems, but what really really gets me is the fact that everyone around me seems to believe that it's just a matter of time until I become a token missionary kid, who says they're from America but has only been there twice in their life. Who believes Halloween is the most heathen thing to come out of Ireland since leprechauns. Who owns more than 5 different shirts from various events at their own school. Who loves soccer. Who plays soccer. Who thinks that softball is "mostly a guy sport." Etc.,etc.,etc.
Even my own parents kind of think I've somehow grown out of Halloween, as if the fact that we live on the other side of the world now means that I'll give up one of my favorite holidays that I've been avidly celebrating for over a decade. That's a long time! Name a website that's over a decade old. I've loved dressing up as a superhero and reaping the rewards of the yearly candy rounds just as much, if not more, than the next guy, so now that we've moved I'm just going to stop?
And as I was reminiscing aloud about New England falls one day, a hobby of mine, someone sitting next to me asked if I was homesick. "Well, yeah" fell out of my mouth, mainly because I was too momentarily taken aback over the dumbest question ever asked of me to come up with a witty remark like the ones I regularly spew. His response, paraphrased of course, was basically that I had to forget about Massachusetts and started thinking Africa thoughts. "You're living here, but you're not really living here," was a remark I personally found very... ironic, if that's the right word.
Because, to me, it sure as heck doesn't feel like I'm still living in Franklin.
-Will
"As a kid, Halloween was amazing. You dress like a superhero, you bang on your neighbors' door, and they give you candy. I do that today and my neighbor wants me arrested."
2 comments:
Don't you hate that. It's like dude, if I was living in friggin Massechusetts then I wouldn't be missing it.
But usually with me it's being with someone or being somewhere at a certain point in time. But same idea.
We continue to hope that things get better at school for you. We can certainly understand your wanting to be back home - and celebrating Halloween! It's a fun time for kids. From the vantage point of "old age" all I can say is that this 3 yr period in your life won't take on the gigantic importance it now has. but I guess that's not helpful as you have to endure the "now". We love you! g'ma and g'pa
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