Why are we here?

Last week, out of the blue, SSM guy turned to me and asked, "Why are we here?"

I responded, "Do you mean in a metaphysical sense or do you mean why are we in Hudson, or why are we in this house, or why are we in Massachusetts?"

It was the latter, and he was complaining about the miserable weather. It was snowing yet again. I too was pretty unhappy with the weather, but now I find that it's 50 degrees and I have no excuse NOT to run. But I don't feel like running. Really, I think I'm just happiest when I'm doing absolutely nothing. God, I wish I was a drug addict or an alcoholic or something that would just make me feel good and incapable of functioning in the world so that I'd have to go to rehab and hide away for awhile. No one expects anything of you then. Instead, I'm a healthy, high-functioning, semi-productive member of society and people expect all sorts of things from me. It's exhausting.

My mother has become the quintessential Jewish mother. I didn't call her during the week, and she called and said she was "worried" about me because she hadn't spoken to me in so long. Just so you know, being "worried" is jewish mother for, "You're a terrible daughter and you don't call your mother enough." Uch. I move all the way from Colorado to Massachusetts and now I'm expected to call every week? I think I need to move away again. That'll show her.

My family is miserable. My mother is lost in a world of books and movies from the 1940's, my brother now owns 8 guitars that he doesn't play, my sister in law has arthritis in her toes which deems her unable to do anything active, and my nephews don't enjoy anything that doesn't involve gangsta rap and violence.

So SSM guy, it's a very valid question. WHY ARE WE HERE?