Some Things Never Change: A Book Dedicated to Absolutely Nothing At All

Family

Everyone's family is different. This is a well known fact. Family's are as different as the different species of animals that inhabit the planet. My family is one of those families. Both my mother's side and my father's have existed for a number of generations, stretching back into simpler times. My mother's side is quite a bunch. Drinkers, workers, drivers, drama queens, you name it. We all love each other...most of the time. They drink a bit too much for my liking, but I still love them to pieces. As I'm writing this, I'm on my last day of Christmas Weekend. I've received some things, but I really don't want much. I've enjoyed myself immensely, and I've done nothing but eat, talk, and laugh.....and turned down people's offers to give me alcoholic drinks. The Lucas Drink Of Choice recipe is as follows: a glass half full of ice cubes, poor in about 1/3 of the cup full of Black Velvet whiskey, and fill the rest with Ginger Ale. It's apparently a rugged drink, and whoever can keep one down is a REAL Lucas. I'm a Barker, but I am also half Lucas. Anyways, the point is, we all have family, and we all have people we love that may or may not be close. We as people have those that we are able to overlook their differences, look past our imperfections, and theirs, and look deep within ourselves to find love that will always be there, a love that will never change. I myself was lost. I hated people. I hated my friends. I hated myself for hating everyone. I did nothing but harbor hate in my heart, and I held onto that hate, until I was on the edge, looking into the darkness of my hate filled mind. I found myself in a bad place. I was depressed, apathetic, careless, hateful, and lost. I dug down, past all the hate and darkness, and finally realized I needed my family. And rather than hating people, I accepted them. I fell in love with my people, loving their unrelenting friendship, their unconditional love and support, and their unique differences. It's been said that any environment can change a person, but it's ultimately the person that decides what and when to change. So, let not your environment change you, let you change yourself.