lots of posts lately: The Good Life

This has been the most annoying and quite possibly the best summer of my life all rolled up into 6 months of a lot of fun, a lot of heart break and a lot of general good times, bad times, fun times and everything in between. I've lost some great friends, made some new ones, lost those friends and made new ones over and over again. Finally, I find myself in Calgary trying to slow down and not act like a total maniac. I've found out who I am, what I'm supposed to do, where I'm supposed to do it and why I'll be doing it for the rest of my life all in the course of about a month and a half.

I lived in Toronto last year, and for the most part generally had a terrible time. It wasn't the right place or time for me to move away to a big city. I just wasn't really ready yet. Upon moving back to Winnipeg in April, I started to improve my life. My eating habits were generally improving, i stopped smoking as much and drinking every single night after work. I could actually eat, which was really awesome because i had the worst time eating in Toronto because i guess i was so stressed out from whatever it was. not having a job, not having a job that i liked, not making enough money to support myself, not finding any interesting people to hang out with, having a girlfriend that was at school all the time, etc. etc.

Calgary has been totally different. This city is so much like Winnipeg. The streets, the smells, the sounds all say Winnipeg. i feel as if I belong in this 'City'. This is where i think it takes a slight turn for the worse. Native Calgarians (and i mean people originally from Calgary, not native Americans) seem to be the biggest, most pretentious jerk bag waste of space people Ive ever met. I know why they are like this too.
Calgary is and always has been a city with money. The history of Calgary is such that Calgary the city was founded on money. (Oil) So, this is a place that has always seen the boom of economic prosperity. 17th ave. is a perfect example. All the rich cha-chi kids strolling up and down the strip, smoking cigarettes, drinking and dancing in the streets. meanwhile there are blue collar people busting their asses to make a decent living, meanwhile supporting their friends who are down and out, supporting the cracked out, coke head migrant immigrant population of misfit idiot kids that move here looking for the good life.

What is 'The Good Life'

For me, the good life is having food and a place to sleep. having enough money to grab a coffee and a muffin on the way to work and then having some money to go to the bar with some friends afterwards. Having spare time to pursue what i want to do as hobbies, and to try and lead some semblance of an interesting life.
I want to have a way to listen to music other than the musings that go on in my head constantly. I want access to clean drinking water and the ability to cook my own food and share that with my friends. I don't want to have to think about where my next meal is coming from, or have to worry about my family going hungry. I want to be able to know that the people i care about are safe and not getting into trouble.

everyone has their idea of what the good life consists of. I just think that Calgary is a bit of a screwy place, where a lot of things seem to be taken for granted and taken advantage of.