"when you're on a holiday, you can't find the words to say all the things that come to you, and i wanna feel it too"--weezer

it's a little late to be talking about this, but i was reminded the other night about the topic, so...yea.

let me start at the beginning:

i live in a neighborhood complex of apartments.  most are 3 story buildings...mine is 2.  part of the attraction to my building is that the first floor is dedicated to handicapped people...meaning, each of the apartments are a little bit bigger.  not that i need a whole lotta space...but well...space is nice.  one of the people living below me is a guy in a wheelchair.  most of the summer/warm weather days, he spends outside in front of our building, smoking a cigarette, talking to passer-bys.  he's lived here for a few years, so he's made some quite solid friends...and enemies.  just so you don't get too excited, this is not about his friends nor enemies.  the thing is, he talks...a lot.  like...too much.  and he's not even the most pleasant person to talk to...but because he's often out there, i'll make a couple minutes small talk and then jet up to my place.  now that the weather is cooler, he's not out there as often...but from time to time...usually when i don't expect it...before i make it to the stairs, he'll emerge from the dark shadows...usually saying something that makes me feel a lil uncomfortable.  

anyway...i'm talking too much.  the other night i had a fairly long conversation with him.  most of this conversation had to do with his last visit to the doc...which, fine...he had some questions...i answered them for him.  from there the conversation too many odd twists and turns and i'll be honest with ya', i totally tuned him out for a bit.  when i snapped back into it, he was saying something along the lines of, "like how i am.  i always want to know more about your religion...like how i ask you if you celebrate columbus day or thanksgiving..."

now, this post is not meant to pick on him...but it got me thinkin (again...i've had this thought before already)...this year i was asked by quite a few people if i celebrate thanksgiving.  really??  is it a religious holiday?  is it even a celebration?  because my understanding was that it's a day to stuff face...and FINE, i'll give you that there's a traditional turkey involved...but c'mon now...there are plenty of people who don't care for the turkey aspect.  i don't take offense to the question, i just find that it doesn't really make sense.  if someone were to ask me, "so what do you normally do on thanksgiving?" i'd find that would be more relevant.  

and columbus day too.  i had maybe 3 people this year ask me if i celebrate columbus day.  huh???  i should've said, "question is, do YOU celebrate columbus day?"  if celebrating columbus day means taking advantage of columbus day sales...then yes, i DO at times celebrate columbus day.

here's the other thing too.  so, when i'm asked if i celebrate something like thanksgiving, there's surprise in people's faces when i say, something like, well...i guess so, since we tend to take advantage of the day off to have a big dinner with family and friends...(kinda like EVERYONE else)...so, people are surprised that i do "celebrate" thanksgiving, but then like this year, when i mentioned i was taking off the day after thanksgiving for a religious holiday, some people would give me this look...like...not like "oh, okay...which holiday would that be?" but more like this look as though i were crazy and how could i POSSIBLY have a religious holiday that they don't know about.  there's very obviously something not right with this picture.

and fine, most people who ask me these questions are either wheelchair guy or patients who have only heard of muslims and find me something of a rare specimen...but i've decided, it's NOT okay for people to not know the absurdity of the questions they are asking.  or...if asking such a question, don't be so bewildered when i say something like yes...and don't look even more bewildered when i mention an ACTUAL holiday that i may have that you obviously know nothing about...especially if you're asking me such things as if i celebrate columbus day/thanksgiving.

i know it's a boring rant to have, but it's a thought, and a concern...and so...well...changing michigan one michigander at a time...signing out.