The Other Other Thing

The other other thing about my family is that they won't do what I think they should want to do which would obviously be the best for everyone concerned if by "everyone" you mean "me."  I believe it has been well established that if it isn't about me then, frankly, I'm not interested.  I don't mean a little not interested, either - I mean totally, completely not interested.

Sometimes even the most idiotic of us has a common sense plan for someone else that would be preferable to what they are actually doing.  It would clearly be better if my father bathed regularly, ate solid food, and quit bitching up a storm about things that are out of his control.  If I could only get him to etc. etc. etc.  

And I say this thing with no ego and the knowledge that it sounds completely ridiculous: I am a guy that has a lot of common sense when said common sense isn't coming up for the last time, close to drowning in a sea of alcohol and drugs.  I can step back and assess things, throw out options and possibilities until something does make sense.  I believe, in my own mind, that one of the things that I bring to the table is to help people look at choices.  I try not to make the choice for them but just to help them look at something from the front-side and the back-side and the inside out.

I grit my teeth as I watch my family spiral.  But the thing is everyone gets to live their own lives.  Everyone gets to make good choices and bad choices and mistakes, hopefully learning as they go along.  It gets frustrating when I see someone make the same bad choice over and over and over.  

Kind of like I did most of my adult life, until I got sober.  Takes what it takes, I guess.