When it comes to family...US is all screwed up...

America may be about many things, but family value is not one of it. I am not saying Americans do not love their family. But the customs are definitely different here. Once the child becomes 18, parents have no legal right over them. So they can do whatever they wish and the presence of parent barely makes a difference.

As usual, my observations are based on the people I meet at the stores where I work. Father and son come together in the store and buy food separately. A girl breaks up with her fiance, because he stole one cigarette from her purse. I do realize however, that with this very limited exposure with Americans as a family, my observations may be exceptions rather than a rule. But let me share two different incidents which has just added to my belief.

Last Friday, a girl came to the store and asked for cigarettes. I asked for her ID, even though I knew she was 18. She hadn't brought it with her. I told her I couldn't sell cigarette to her if she didnt had ID. So she turned towards her mother, who had just bought a pack of cigarettes from me and asked her to buy a pack for her. Thankfully her mother refused. However her mother didn't refuse because it was ethically (and legally) wrong to buy cigarettes for minor. This is what she said, "No, no. i am not buying any cigarettes for you. You never do anything for me. You never help around the house, you don't work, you don't go to school. You are just a pain in my ass. I am not doing anything for you...".

Now after hearing all that, I thought that girl would leave the store, but she kept pleading. "please mama, I need the smoke.". So now the mother blew the cigarette she was smoking in the girl's face and said, "You need a smoke, here it is." As the smoke blew past her face, I could see the anger rising up in the girl's face.

"You are such a bitch...thats why dad left you...", she cried.

The mother has obviously heard these word before, because she wasn't as upset as i thought she would be. She was angry nevertheless. She began, "Don't you dare...I will burn you with the cigarette you need so much..."

At this point, I could take it no more and other customers were also getting irritated, so I told them to get the hell out of my store.

Now whats wrong with this whole picture? First of all, the girl had guts to ask her mother to but cigarettes for her. Secondly, the mother, instead of upsetting over her daughter's smoking habit, is more concerned that she doesn't help her.

to be continued...