Anxiety

I'm tired. ("Hi, Tired! I'm Hungry!" Nyuk nyuk.) I dreamt last night that I was supposed to teach a class on American history, that it was the first time I was teaching, that I hadn't done one minute of preparation, and that I would have to wing it entirely. I kept half-waking up, disturbed and uneasy, before dropping back into sleep again. I only realized this morning that it was just a dream.

I don't go for all the Freudian dream analysis crap, but yo, I know an anxiety dream when I have one. And what do I have to be anxious about? Oh, perhaps the fact that Parental Unit 1 is arriving on Tuesday in Seoul and I'm going to meet her at the airport, after which I don't know where I'm supposed to take her. She expected to stay with Parental Unit 2 -- but didn't apparently discuss this with Parental Unit 2 (a tiny detail! nothing at all! purely trivial!) before buying her ticket. Parental Unit 2 has insinuated that she's not welcome at his abode, and Parental Unit 1 has no other place to go, given that she's dependent on PU 2's financial support, which, in a fit of pique, PU 2 has stated he is ending.

I don't want to be unfair to either PU, so in case you're thinking that either one is being unreasonable, let me just lay out the truth for you. I didn't want to have to tell you this, but... both PUs are completely, entirely, utterly, exhaustingly -- ooh, look, my coworker gave me a yogurt snack! it's so freakin' clever: half yogurt and half choco-puffy things, and the carton's split in the middle, so you fold it and the choco-puffy things fall right into the yogurt! cool! -- NUTS. Yes, folks, they seem like rational people on the outside, but it's a coverup for their essential craziness.

And as a result of PU madness, childishness, and general inanity, my aunt and uncle are not coming to Korea to visit.

Really looking forward to next week, I am. When did my parents become such children?

And now, a conversation with myself:
~Can I just ignore the whole thing?
~Yes! Run away, hk! Run away!
~But I did that before, and it manifested in the inability to trust people, depression -- you know, the garden variety DSM manual disorders.
~Yes, but -- PU! PU!
~Look, you can't just run away from problems anymore. You -- WE are practically 30 years old. We need to face up to disturbing things like our parents turning into vindictive 5-year-olds --
~PU! PU!
~ -- and us having to play the role of a freakin' marriage counselor, not to mention --
~PU! PU!
~ -- will you STOP THAT?!!!!
~Sorry.
[Sullen silence.]
~Okay, I'm sorry I yelled.
~Yeah, whatever.
~Do you think you might possibly HELP me in my attempt to be the only adult in this situation?
~Why can't bigbro be the adult? Then we can run away!
~Because he's busy making his millions, after which he can buy a freakin' house in Los Angeles for PU 1 and let us all live in peace.
~You really think it'll be that easy?
~It was a joke, you dumbass. Look, he's the Adult in America, so you have to be an Adult in Korea.
~Why can't the ADULTS be the adults in this situation?
~Is there any point to asking that?