another one bites the dust

i may be jumping to conclusions here, but i think my step-dad is leaving my mom. granted, i guess if i were him i would contemplate the same thing....

here's the thing about my mom...
turns out she is an alcoholic and a weed addict. now, i know people say that marijuana is not an addiction, but trust me, if you have seen my family, you would know it is one. i guess in the sense of the word where it is a habitual activity that cannot be broken free from. aka dependence, in a sense. aka addiction. i found out that my mom has been smoking for my whole life. i know a lot of people smoke, and i sound a bit hypocritical with some of this, but the fact of the matter is that she is supposed to be setting some sort of example for my little brother. instead, she sits around and smokes with him. the drinking, well, i knew about that but never really realized the problem until i lived with her for a month last year. learning this has helped explain a lot though.

my step-dad...
he'd the kind of guy that makes jokes to hide his feelings, but is so transparent about it. he's a great guy. he's been with my mom since my parents split up in 1988. long time... (just typing 88 made me feel old). technically, my mom left my dad for my step-dad. funny story, really. my dad brought a co-worker home for dinner one night to meet the family (technically, i guess my parents were thinking about fixing the co-worker up with my aunt), but the co-worker took a liking to my mom instead. needless to say, my dad never really got along with my step-dad after that. they're pretty civil these days though.
so he's trying to deal with my step-sister's accident and issues and has no one to talk to. in fact, yesterday, i emailed him to let him know that i would be by their house sometime this week, and he emailed me back and said that it would be good to talk to someone who isn't high. poor guy. i really feel for him sometimes.

it's kind of sad, but i think my mom could use a little dose of reality once in a while. even if it just makes her see that there is more to life than drinking and smoking every day.

my family is crazy. i admit it. every brother (4) has been arrested at one point or another for various reasons (in fact, one was in jail for 6 mos.), i have a step-sister that is a pill-popping anorexic who i'm pretty sure would prostitute herself out if she could, and i have an aunt and uncle that smoke with my mom and brother. both parents have been married 3 times. there is only one member of my entire family that is still with their original spouse. unless, you count my great-grandparents... and then there are 2. now you see why i am a nut, eh? it is sad to say it, but in a lot of ways, i am one of the more normal in the family these days. although, my dad seems pretty normal. hopefully no family secrets come spilling out about him. i will probably go insane.

ok. that's enough family talk. i know everyone has messed up families. after all, this IS america. land of free will, freedom of speech and divorce. i think the key to it all is just dealing with it and not letting family issues hold you down. i am not them, they are not me. there's always that saying too : 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'.