Clueless

My nieces and nephews are funny . . . they think their lives are sooooo hard. My nephew called me this morning and was complaining about how hard it is to be 19 and have to be responsible for himself and work so hard to support himself, etc.

At the end of our conversation he asked if I would go over to the repair shop and get his car that's in for a tune up and oil change. So, to put things in perspective, it's in a shop near where I live because that's where their father takes his cars so he has an account there. When they need their cars worked, they (my 19 year old nephew and his 25 year old niece), just take the cars to that shop and they put it on their father's account.

At the beginning of every ski/snowboard season their father (my brother) buys them new equipment (boards, clothes and required accoutrement) and season passes to Squaw Valley ($2,000 for each pass) and Alpine Meadows ($1,000 for each pass). When they want to ski or snowboard they go up and stay at their dad's fully stocked ski-lease cabin, free of charge in 4-WD cars with brand new snow tires on them, all given to them by their father, etc.

So, it cracks me up to hear them whine about how hard it is to be a grown up and have to support themselves and I have to smack them upside their heads with reality and point out that most kids their age are driving second hand cars, saving up to go skiing, stressing about paying for car maintenance and repairs, etc., and that they're pretty freaking fortunate. When I do that, they say they know and that they're grateful but . . . are they?