At one point in the movie Parenthood, Steve Martin's character mutters, "My whole life is 'has to'."

On the one hand I can sympathize/empathize with such a statement. On the other, I say, "Yeah... so?" Because throughout human history it's been that way for everyone. Wait, I take that back: you can be an amoral scumbag. That's your choice -- take care of the people in your life, or abandon them/neglect them. That's about it.

Did people have time to sit around moaning about what they "had to" do when they "had to" store up enough animal feed and firewood for the winter? Or when they "had to" die from diseases? They might have resented it. They probably REALLY resented it when some fat jerk king told them they "had to" go fight in a war.

But thinking about different options wasn't ... an option. We are a bunch of lucky sonsabitches these days. I forget that sometimes. Okay, at least once a day I forget that.

On another parenthood note, I would like to voice my complaint about a different neighbor today. No, this one does not involve drunkenness or nudity or drunken nudity, for a change.

Dear Single Dad across the street:

Dilf gives you slack for being a single parent, bless his empathetic little heart.

But I don't think it's too crazy for me to expect you to give your kid a fucking umbrella when it's fucking raining outside. Because when you don't, my softhearted daughter gives her umbrella to your underdressed kid, because I've actually put a jacket with a hood on her, which your daughter is NOT wearing even though it's like 50 degrees and raining outside.

So now my kid is walking in the rain without an umbrella, and I blame you. I could advise her to just tell your daughter "Sucks to be you! Why should I share my umbrella? Get your own!" but I'm afraid she'll grow up to be a republican.

Hey, now that you mention it, aren't YOU a republican? Interesting.