I found this video of Lt. Ehren Watada speaking before the Veterans for Peace in Seattle, August 12, 2006, at Momo‘s. Momo’s post is a Mother’s Day post, so for Mother’s Day I will say that I am a Slacker Sister. That’s right. My little sister is of course worse, being herself a famous Slacker from way back. Now she has children who like her, do not do homework. Family mythology has it that I am the disciplined, focused one, but apparently I take after my sister more than I thought.
My youngest brother, 27, is two courses away from his B.A. and makes gestures towards the idea of finishing, but does not actually finish. He is enjoying working, traveling, and generally experimenting in life. I am told I should encourage him to Do More, Now, because he is Very Talented and should Use His Talents to better himself and benefit the community.
These things are true enough, but what did I say? I said look, he is close to having a college degree that he paid for himself, he is child and arrest free at 27, he is decently employed and living on his own, and he has been self supporting for 10 years, so are we really within our rights to complain? Apparently I am a Slacker Sister, but perhaps I am merely a proto-Buddhist, aware of vanity and of the impermanence of things. What do you think?
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
I guess I think that if anybody can stay even marginally outside the capitalists wringer he’s doing pretty well. I always suspect that people will find a way to contribute to their relationships and communities over the long term, and sometimes that’s by being the “goofy uncle” or the “whacky neighbor” (in both cases aka the “available friend”) if that makes any sense.