Last night was filled with bad dreams about me being here. Anxieties driven by an earlier conversation with my grandmother, I suppose. It wasn`t like I didn`t know this was coming. My grandmother has always been critical about all my big life-changing decisions. Going to America, getting married, having my first child, etc. I clearly remember the things she told me about the latter fact: "You just finished college. Weren`t you going to start your career now? Well, your life is over now. It`s the end of all your passions, anyway," she said, "I don`t understand why you have to have a child now." Mind you, I was 27 then and already pregnant. This just isn`t the kind of thing you tell someone who is already half-way through with the project, so to say.
Anyway, yesterday when I spoke to her on the phone she totally broke me.
I was visiting a friend`s house - a small dinner party. Needless to say, I was embarrassed to rejoin the table, for I had troubles to remain composed. I had to step away twice to take a few deep breaths in the hallway to be able to control myself and not break into tears.
My grandmother had hit a raw nerve. An underlying anxiety about this whole existence-changing endeavor of mine (ours). She hit the fears about the risk I am taking and she hit my insecurities like a pro mom-surrogate, I suppose.
I think you are being irresponsible here. You are always jumping all over the place. But, oh well, you`ve always been that way.
-Grandma, I said, how can you say that? I`ve been in New York for almost ten years. I`ve been working at the same place for about 8 years. I have my own apartment, I have been in the same relationship for almost 11 years. How much more stable can I be?
-Why do you want to come back? she countered, I thought you are happy there. I find it reckless of you to leave a stable job, your apartment, everything you have to come back here.
-I am taking a leave (if all goes bad, we can return and I, at least, will have a job), we are renting our place...
-I don`t understand why.
-I just think it`s better for the kids.
-I don`t buy that. I don`t believe that you would do something like this just for the kids.
-(ouch). Listen, if I would be selfish, I`d stay. I love New York City. I just got note from the first of the three Graduate Schools I applied to that I have been accepted and that is a great honor and opportunity. They don`t just take anybody. They are extremely selective. Out of hundreds of applications they take maybe 10 people.
- Well, this isn`t really what you wanted anyway. You always wanted to work in the film business.
- It is, too, what I wanted. It was one of my options, one of my paths. The reason I came to New York to study photography is because I didn`t make the entry exam into the only Viennese photo-program.
-That`s because you didn`t try hard enough.
-What? I studied hard. How could I know that it turned out to be all math and chemistry on that test.
-Well, you`re going to proceed as you like anyway,..soo whatever you say.
This was only an excerpt of the things she told me. I am still shaken by it, when I shouldn`t be. Why do I let this affect me in such a way? I know better. She doesn`t know my life, she doesn`t know the details, the realities, ....she is just passing a judgement as an outsider.
MUST ignore.
Anyway, today I am beginning to be really homesick.
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