Against Happiness

Began reading 'Against Happiness'. by Eric Wilson: good so far, but I'm only on page 38. Walked up Mount Royal today, and have also begun The Forsyte Saga. And now for a total non-sequitur: ... My father sent me the shirts I had left behind in London: there were 3 of them, including a Lacoste polo shirt I had bought second-hand in Toronto in 2005, for about $20, which is still in great shape, and has sentimental value, as it was such a good deal (in Canada, they cost $100 brand new). Dad had sent me an e-mail immediately after I arrived home in Canada after the trip, informing me I had forgotten 3 shirts, and we agreed he could send them when he returned to Halifax at the end of April. So a package arrived at my place yesterday, but it seemed a bit small to contain 3 shirts. i thought nothing of it, though, until I eventually opened it, and saw there were only 2 shirts, and no sign of the polo shirt. So I called Dad today, and he insisted there had only been 2 shirts, and that if there were a third one, it was left behind in Greece. Judy seemed to think she had seen it, but of course I was furious at Dad's obliviousness. And talking to him on the phone is now nearly impossible, thanks to his hearing loss. I speak slowly and loudly, and still he hears maybe a third of what I say. I later retrieved his original e-mail, and sent it to him, thus providing irrefutable evidence that he at least initially knew there were 3 shirts. This is what I'm going to have to do with him from now on, I guess: put everything in writing, so there's always a paper trail. Of course I cling to the idea that this is not merely age-related forgetfulness, although it could be partly that, but also a reflection of his indifference to others and their concerns, his near-total self-absorption. He simply can't be relied upon. I remember our first cat Daphne ran away while Dad was alone at home for a week and my mother, brother and I were on vacation, when I was about 3, and my mother telling me that Dad had forgotten to feed her.