Last year when we decided to move here to Utah, it was mostly because I was going back to school to learn Social Media Marketing. The bitter irony to that is that I am not social at all. As you read from my post a few days ago, I am way more into my screens than people.

The great thing I learned about social media marketing is that being social really meant people on your screen, so maybe it is perfectly suited for me. I don’t have to be social with people, I just have to type, and post and download social with people. That I can do. With my screens.

One of the other reasons we came here, was that we had family here. In Seattle, we were on the far corner of the US map and while people in my family did tend to come see us Olympic style (every four years) it was usually just as a stopover (1 day, 12 hours, 3 or four hours) to get to beautiful Vancouver or go to get weird in Portland. So, if we wanted to see our siblings we had to come here. Plus my parents were here as well as my wife’s sister. Problem being, we would come here for a week.  And we would spend it, driving hither and thither, going between parents, and siblings all week long. We could nary spend a moment actually vacationing, because we were too busy familying.

We would come back from vacation feeling exhausted, like we didn’t really get to do anything fun, just “hang with family”. And sometimes we came at a time when families were busy, or on their own vacation, so even that time with them was quite short.

Once we moved here, we thought it would be awesome, because we would see them all the time. Wrong. They are still busy doing things, and going on vacations all around the world, and their kids take up their time, being in school and all. And for some reason, our kids are in school too, and they do things that take up our time as well (seriously kids, could you be more selfish?).

But this week, my family is back in Washington, and they left me here to look for a job again (boring story, don’t want to talk about it. Just kidding, I’m sure there will be some future bitter post about it.) The first day of them being gone was awesome, (yeah total bachelor freedom!), then I realized it gets pretty lonely around here without some kid bugging me to do something for them.

So I decided to call my siblings and invite myself over for dinner. Not only because I can’t cook, but because they know I like pizza and will probably get it for me “as a treat”. And you know what? It has been quite enlightening.

These are people I used to fight with all the time. For the pettiest of things. She sat too near my side of the seat. He kept using my toy without asking. He wore my shoes. He rubbed his sock in my face. She beat me over the head with a mace.

Nowadays, they won’t even be petty like me anymore. They decided they are all grown up and mature and just want to talk about memories and stuff. They want to be nice and civil and share funny stories. Seriously, siblings. Grow a little less mature would you?

Who has time for siblings that don’t want to fight? That don’t want to jump from the second floor railings or flip cars over with girlfriends, or try to rub boogers in each other’s faces or flip food at each other?

They just have meaningful jobs and lives and kids. What the heck? Their maturity is so immature.

Now I’m starting to wonder why I moved here again. UGGGHHHH.

ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH

Bitter Sibling Bittery Ben