A lesson on Self-Reliance

Amazing Awen has done it again--He survived Christmas!! Unfortunately, I am not back in São Paulo yet, but now I only have to wait till New Year's arrived and I'll be on the bus crossing the Dutra.
The celebrations with my family were painful as usual, all the fake interest in how you're doing, all the questions about your personal affairs disguising a desire to hear that I am doing badly, just to have more fuel for gossip. Oh yeah. THAT sort of people. Bleagh.
I forced my Self to go through that for two reasons: one, the CD my aunt was going to give me--and didn't. Second, I'm indebited with my parents for all the financial support they've given me after I moved to São Paulo. Materialistic, me? No way, it's just that emotionally nothing will compensate and reparate the damage of spending christmas here. And if you think I am materialistic, I really don't care. I'm in a recovering process, so I won't consume myself worrying about what you think.
For everybody that has come out on top of all Christmas garbage, congratulations! May next year we conquer our freedom from the emotional slavery our parents put us through.
Time to start thinking about the Year-Ender message for all my friends. Hmmm...
Photo: An Iraqi survivor.